Watershed Distillery is ready to take their local spirits production to the next level. The company announced plans today to expand their facility on Chesapeake Avenue by an additional 3,000 square feet, allowing for more barrel storage, and the addition of another still next summer.
“We’re busting at the seams and tripping over everything as is,” said Watershed co-owner Greg Lehman. “The bourbon and dark liquors that we make today are stored for three to five years, so we need the extra space. And adding another still is pretty significant because it will allow us to quadruple the amount of product we’re making today.”
Lehman added that a new product from Watershed is expected to launch sometime in November, and the new still will allow the company to explore the creation of more new products and flavors in the future. The company launched a walnut-based liquor called Nocino last fall and an exclusive Guild Series Gin in August.
“As a business, there are a lot of opportunities we want to chase, but we have limited time and capacity,” Lehman explained. “The new still will allow us to explore and be more creative, which is part of the motivation of expansion.”
Watershed has played a role at the forefront of legislative change in the state of Ohio, working to make microdistillery operations in the state more friendly to small businesses. The company announced today that it has been able to renew its A3a license for another year (which allows them to manufacture spirits), but works to resolve issues surrounding the process that has made the operation of their business difficult.
For more information, visit www.watersheddistillery.com.