New Craft Distillery Headed for Ann Arbor

A new distillery and tasting room is set to open this year in Ann Arbor. The Ann Arbor Distilling Company plans to build their spirits business inside a factory property at 220 Felch St. later this year. Co-owners Rob Cleveland and Ari Sussman tell MLive they've already received city, state, and federal licensing and are currently in the process of applying for remodeling permits. The company plans to produce whiskey, vodka, and gin. The distillery will likely feature a few small snacks on its tasting room menu and the owners have expressed interest in allowing customers to bring in their own food.

The number of Michigan craft distilleries has exploded over the last several years, with Metro Detroit ventures like Two James, Motor City Gas Whiskey, and Detroit City Distillery debuting in the past three years alone. Another small-batch spirits tasting room is expected to open sometime this year in Royal Oak. Ann Arbor Distilling doesn't have a target date set for the opening, but expects to complete the build-out by the end of 2015.