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Hard Liquor Distilling Comes To Town

by Allan Appel | Feb 8, 2012 12:25 pm

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Posted to: Food, Fair Haven, Upper State Street

Allan Appel Photo Move over Smirnoff, Absolut, and Grey Goose. Velocipede Vodka and Nine Square Rye are coming to upper State Street, as the city’s and state’s only artisanal distiller of the hard stuff received approval to open for business.

By a unanimous vote Tuesday night the Board of Zoning Appeals granted a special exception to permit Eric Kotowski to open a small batch distillery in a 1,000 square-foot space in the increasingly popular old Robby Len  industrial building at 1175 State St.

Kotowski will be moving his small Elm City Distillery LLC from its current operations in Durham, where he has been brewing for about a year.

According to the City Plan Department staff report, Kotowski receives 50 pound bags of grain and glass bottles once a month. His output through two distillations a day yields eight gallons.

The self-contained manufacturing set up includes a small boiler and still, fermenting tanks, and a storage room, which are going to be installed in a second floor studio space at 1175 State.

Kotowski said he’ll take over the studio of his brother, Aaron Kotowski Photography, who is moving to another space within 1175.

Currently Kotowski sells his Velocipede Vodka and Nine Square Rye to 116 Crown St. and Amity Wines, among other customers. He said the move is for convenience, as he lives in New Haven. In general, he pronounced 1175 a “better location” from which to expand his business.

By law Kotowski cannot serve the booze, for example, to thirsty exercisers, zumba dancers, or martial artists, as 1175 State has become a mecca for exercise-related businesses.

“I’m allowed to sell to permittees, liquor stores, and restaurants,” only he said.

He added, however, that in the future he hopes to set up a tasting area on his premises.

The unanimous vote for approval included one condition—that hours of operation be restricted to Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 5: 30, Saturday 9 to 3:00, and closed Sunday.

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