Aug. 11, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Journey Group.

South Dakota-crafted spirits will start to be served this week at a new downtown Sioux Falls distillery taproom – in a building that literally just got a new lease on life.

Glacial Lakes Distillery in Watertown will run the taproom at 200 S. Main Ave.

“At first, we didn’t think we could afford anything downtown,” said Quentin Robertson, who co-owns the business with Phil Klein.

“Then COVID hit, and everything started shutting down, and we could take a step back and reevaluated what we wanted and needed.”

He would pass the building on his way home from work, and when he saw it was available for lease, he looked it up.

“It was small and basically the right size for us,” Robertson said. “And it’s got 10th and Main both one-direction (streets), which is awesome, and plenty of parking for people to come over, and it’s on the way to the Pavilion, which is a big deal when people are walking there looking for something to do.”

But first, the century-old building had to be transformed into a modern taproom.

For that, Glacial Lakes turned to Journey Construction.

“We do a lot of specialty projects,” project manager Roger Klebe said. “This one was unique because it involved a lot of metal fabrication. Bringing something back to life that was really starting to show its age and just show what we could do to an old building was really rewarding.”

The work started in mid-May and moved fast, he said.

“We wanted to try to get it turned over to still take advantage of the nicer weather for the patio, and they will be able to incorporate that with the opening,” he said.

“When people come and see the building, they’re going to be amazed if they remember what it was like by how we transformed it. You’re going to see it’s kept the nostalgic open look while being completely updated.”

Over the years, the building had been everything from its original use as a gas station to its most recent one as Earsay, an audio recording business.

“It had good bones,” Robertson said. “By the time we took it over, the owner had already made some renovations to the windows and ceiling. And it’s historic, so we had to keep some things the way they were.”

Journey’s crews tore out existing walls and sandblasted old paint that had been on the walls for years to get it down to the original brick.

“All the old brick will show, and we cleaned the roof trusses, and then we had to cut out a section of the floor to put in a new stairwell on the north side and tear out the whole west side and reframe it with doors and windows,” Klebe said.

“It’s a more open concept, and there’s a whole new plumbing and electrical system, new HVAC. It was basically a bare-bones building, and we took it from there and tore it apart and put it back together.”

Garage doors also will be returning to the building – they were there when it was a gas station – and they should arrive in a few weeks, allowing for easy access to the patio.

“We put temporary frames and glass where the garage doors will go, and most people won’t even notice, but by the end of August, we should be able to have those installed,” Klebe said.

The lower level was totally renovated too and will be used for a cooler, restrooms, prep station, area for making liquors and juices, and as an employee lounge.

The parking lot also was entirely replaced.

“The retaining walls were in rough shape, so we put new ones in, new steps and a pergola system,” Klebe said. “So while it’s not physically a very big project, there’s a lot of detail here between the paint, metal, wood and custom-making the bar in place.”

The interior has a modern-industrial design.

“We’ve got some comfortable furniture, and it’s cozy with a fireplace,” Robertson said. “The lighting is dim – we don’t want it too bright – but we bought a few TVs. It’s mostly a nice, casual gathering spot for people to have some cocktails.”

The cocktails must be crafted with spirits made by Glacial Lakes. While the menu is still being finalized, there will be an Old-Fashioned, Manhattans and martinis. The plan is to start with two drinks using each spirit – vodka, white rum, dark rum, gin and brandy – and launch the distillery’s first bourbon.

“We’ve got some other fun things in the works, so we’re thinking about the future and trying to watch what’s going on with the pandemic,” Robertson said. “It looks wonderful.”

The plan is to begin invite-only events this weekend before opening to the public at a date yet to be determined.

Glacial Lakes also isn’t done building in the Sioux Falls area. The owners still plan to move the distillery operation from Watertown to Hartford, though they prioritized opening downtown.

“Journey has been great, especially Roger,” Robertson said. “I can always reach him, and he keeps me on top of everything, and he’s always happy when I show up, and he shows me around. They moved as quick as they could especially with material issues being what they are.”

While it was a fast project, it was a satisfying one, Klebe said.

“A lot of people on our team like working on these older buildings,” he said. “They’re just different to work on instead of a typical renovation or new construction. It’s about how we reuse materials and blend in things so it looks raw but updated.”

It also drew immediate interest from passersby, he added.

“We get a lot of compliments from neighboring businesses with the exterior, and every day they say they’re amazed how this corner looks now,” Klebe said.

“It’s just a unique, fast-paced job that really revitalized an old building and will bring a lot of good use to that corner.”