When I used to conduct the Distillery Workshops, I would start with a small quiz. The quiz presented the workshop attendees with a series of tasks associated with launching a craft distillery project. It was remarkable to see practically every quiz taker stating that the #1 task to be completed was to sign a lease on a building (or buy the building outright).

WRONG!!

The correct answer was to first get in front of the local fire inspector to determine whether or not he will approve the building being considered. The key point to remember is that the fire inspector has to sign off on the distillery project. If the building ever did burn down, that inspector is potentially liable.

So before you get excited at the prospect of becoming a craft distiller, arrange for a meeting with your fire inspector. Get to know him. Maybe ask him what areas of town he recommends for a craft distillery. Focus your search efforts on those areas. If you are contemplating building a facility from the ground up, engage an architectural technician to help you in your design considerations. As a case in point, in 2020 when I was thinking about a distillery in Mossbank, Sask, the engineering consultant I engaged spelled out how walls, studs, and even insulation would have to be made of non-combustible materials (ie metal studs, extra dry-wall layers, metal cladding etc…).

Once you have engaged your fire inspector and clarified what is required in terms of a building, then you can proceed to next steps…