Central Standard relocates distillery to Harley-Davidson campus
The distillery move to Milwaukee’s Harley-Davidson campus will increase capacity by more than 20-fold for Wisconsin-based Central Standard.
Milwaukee’s Central Standard Craft Distillery will move its main distillery operations to a reimagined section of the historic 20-acre Harley-Davidson campus beginning next year.
The refurbished 73,000-square-foot space will house a fully operational distillery and tasting room. A formal groundbreaking is slated for late summer 2025, with the goal to open to the public by late spring 2026.
“We started Central Standard Craft Distillery to be a part of Milwaukee and grow with it. This partnership and expansion continue to affirm that mission,” co-founder and president Pat McQuillan said.
“With this purchase, we’re excited to deepen our roots in the city we love, and to show our commitment and investment in the Milwaukee community.”
The new space will offer insights into Central Standard’s production, research and development, and barrel ageing, while showcasing Harley-Davidson history.
The expansion will bring all operations under one roof, with Central Standard currently spread across three facilities in the Milwaukee area. Bottling and barreling capacity will increase by 20 times compared to the current distillery space.
Central Standard produces a range of spirits, including whiskey, gin, vodka and brandy, as well as bottled ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails.
“With the success of our Crafthouse & Kitchen restaurant, as well as the regional growth of our spirits and RTD products, this expansion presents the perfect timing and opportunity for continued strategic growth,” co-founder and CEO Evan Hughes added.
“We’re well-positioned to exponentially grow our production capacity, to continue to meet consumer demand for our offerings, and to engage with the Milwaukee community in new and exciting ways.”
The project’s architect of record is Minnesota-based firm HGA, who also worked on Central Standard’s Crafthouse & Kitchen and Davidson Park, also located at the historic Harley-Davidson site.
Central Standard Distillery was named after the time zone that its founders grew up in, with McQuillan hailing from Nebraska and Hughes coming from Nebraska.
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