Two unmistakable Milwaukee brands – founded 110 years apart – are about to come together.
A rendering of the entrance of the new Central Standard Distillery facility, opening this summer on Milwaukee’s Near West Side.
Last summer, Central Standard Distillery announced it had purchased a 73,000-square-foot portion of Harley-Davidson’s headquarters at the Juneau Street campus. The producer of small-batch spirits, including vodka, gin, bourbon, rye whiskey and ready-to-drink canned cocktails anticipates moving in August.
“As demand for our products increased, we had to become, as we like to joke ‘incredibly efficient at being inefficient,’” said co-founder and CEO Evan Hughes. “We had added two off-site warehouses just to keep up. One in Jackson where we store raw materials, bottles and packaging, and another on the northwest side of Milwaukee, which houses finished goods. Managing production, storage and fulfillment across three locations has required tremendous coordination and added unnecessary complexity.”
In addition to consolidating production, warehousing and operations, Hughes said the new facility, just west of downtown, will house a state-of-the-art tasting room, retail and event space and tours.
“The tours will weave together the distilling process, guided spirit tastings and the shared history of our brand and the historic campus,” said Hughes. “We want visitors to experience not only how spirits are made, but why Milwaukee’s manufacturing legacy matters.”
The convergence of two brands like Central Standard and Harley-Davidson seemed like a natural fit to the distillery’s leadership.
“Both brands were born and built on the near west side. Both are rooted in craftsmanship, authenticity and Milwaukee pride,” said Hughes. “Harley-Davidson represents American manufacturing heritage, independence and a global community built around a shared passion. Central Standar
d was founded on similar principles, celebrating local ingredients, honoring tradition and building a community around great spirits and hospitality.”
Hughes said Central Standard initially approached Harley-Davidson for space on a more short-term basis.
“Initially, we approached Harley-Davidson to explore short-term warehouse space on their campus to consolidate finished goods storage closer to our production facility. It was meant to be a temporary solution while we continued searching,” he said. “Through conversations with their outstanding team, the opportunity to acquire 73,000 square feet on the west side of the campus, including part of their original motorcycle production footprint, emerged. The layout, infrastructure and scale aligned almost perfectly with our operational and experiential goals. It checked every box we had been looking for.”
Ultimately, it was the perfect fit.
“While we evaluated many other properties over the years, nothing matched the combination of size, history, location and long-term potential that this campus offers,” Hughes said.
When the facility opens later this year, Hughes said the goal is to add to the historic neighborhood’s legacy, drive traffic and promote two great brands.
“Ultimately, our goal is to create a destination that attracts visitors from across the country, contributes meaningfully to Near West Side revitalization and serves as a source of pride for Milwaukee,” he said.
