If you attend a tour of Middle West Spirits soon, you may need to pardon some dust. The Short North microdistillery is currently in expansion mode, working to add 6,000 square feet of new production space to ferment, finish and bottle their products.
“Our walk through space, with the installation of the new mash system, leaves very little workable room in our current footprint,” said co-owner Ryan Lang. “This expansion increases our overall efficiency and allows our weekly production to increase dramatically.”
Lang says that he and business partner Brady Konya are both pleased with the growth trajectory of their operations.
“The regulatory community and distribution networks can be challenging, but it’s part of the game,” he explained. “We are drawing closer to our third anniversary and hope to continue our vision for the company.”
Middle West just launched their latest product, OYO Whiskey Bourbon, several weeks ago, which has been well received regardless of the unfortunate release party weather they encountered.
“Despite the hurricane, we had a great evening at the launch party,” said Lang. “We received great feedback on product, which is always our ultimate goal.”
The facilities expansion will take place over the next few months, and plans to add a tasting room to the building will follow soon after. New product launches are on hold until the buildout is complete.
“We have a bunch of ideas and tests and have good partners through common philosophy that have developed over the years,” said Lang. “We’re excited about the collaborations and hope to have news of those projects in the future.”
More information can be found online at www.middlewestspirits.com.