With the recent change in laws allowing distilleries to open tasting rooms and restaurants, brace yourself for the increasing number you’ll likely see in the next few years. High Bank Distillery, coming to Grandview in 2018, is one of them.
Co-owners Jordan Helman (Zest co-owner) and Adam Hines knew they wanted to start something a little over two years ago, and back then, the concept they had in mind was a craft brewery.
“It was something we both were pretty passionate about, but as we were researching more and more with that it just seemed really saturated around Columbus here,” Hines said.
After noticing the laws changing to give distilleries more freedom, their focus shifted. They and their partner Calvin Jones spent the last 18 months in research mode. In February, they made the jump into searching for a facility, eventually leasing 17,000 square feet of the space that used to be Goodale Pro Hardware, at 1051 Goodale Blvd.
“Grandview is a great area. It’s vibrant. There’s a lot of millennials there. It’s a very active community,” Helman said. “When we think of our target demographic, a lot of those individuals reside in Grandview.”
The first 8,000 square feet of the facility will be used for the bar, restaurant, kitchen and bathrooms. A bar-slash-arcade area and patio will host shuffleboard, air hockey and foosball games. Another 4,000 square feet will be production space, which will be visible through large windows, and 1,000 more square feet will be used for their office space and break room. The remaining 4,000 square feet will be a placeholder for the time being, as the owners assess their needs.
“The plans for High Banks Distillery will transform an older industrial building into an attractive and vital destination and bring more energy to the Goodale Boulevard corridor,” stated Patrik Bowman, Director of Administration and Development for the City of Grandview Heights.
Upon opening, High Bank Distillery will offer an organic gin, an organic vodka, and a blended rye whiskey. The whiskey will be a combination of pre-made whiskeys from Indiana, Kentucky and elsewhere. As the spirit takes between 18 and 36 months to age, and High Bank owners want to immediately offer it, they’ll be offering this blended spirit until their own has had time to age.
The restaurant concept and menu is still under development as they’re in the process of interviewing and hiring the head chef, but Helman and Hines said they’re aiming for an elevated casual menu that balances between bar food and healthier options.
High Bank Distillery is set to open in spring of 2018. Follow CU for updates.
For more information, visit their Facebook page.
Design & Renderings by Brianne DeRolph of Driftindustry & Sidecar Creatives.
