USA, IL: The Well at the Distillery opens at former Thornton 1857 brewery location

The Well at the Distillery is the South Suburbs' newest distillery, but it’s not the first time alcohol has been produced in its Thornton location, The Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle reported on February 28.

The business at 400 E. Margaret St. is producing craft gin, vodka, whiskey and rum in the same spot where beer was brewed for a century. The distillery sits along Thorn Creek in a spot that was inhabited by Native Americans until being sold to fur traders. It was 1857 when John Biefeldt found it an ideal location for beer brewing due to the water source and natural spring.

That water source continues to provide an ideal spot for making spirits with a limestone-filtered artisan well.

Except for a brief period during Prohibition, the brewery remained in operation until 1957. And even during Prohibition, when the site became a soda manufacturer, the beer was quietly brewed and distributed by some of the era’s most notorious Chicago gangsters, including Al Capone.

After the beer brewing ceased, the building had various uses, from light industrial operations in one portion and taverns and restaurants in another part. It sat vacant for many years before restoration began four years ago. Not only is it one of the oldest structures in the South Suburbs, it is the oldest standing brewery in the state per the Thornton Historical Society.

Andrew Howell and Jake Weiss have the western portion of the building open as a distillery, tasting room and special events space.

The tasting room features a massive bar that was created by recycling limestone from the original well and tunnel that led to it.

Howell’s brother, Jon, leads bar operations and Homewood-Flossmoor area natives, Brie Hornback and Jeff Colin, serve up craft cocktails utilizing house spirits.

“Our special event space can hold 300 people in addition to 117 in the lounge area. It’s allowing us now to book corporate events, weddings and other special events,” Howell said.

Details on the history of the building are part of a tour offered at 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, The Well’s regular business days. Cost is $10 and it includes a tasting, a tour of the artisan well and viewing of historical photographs and artifacts.

“There’s some fantastic breweries in Homewood and Flossmoor and we’ve made friends in that community and are looking to collaborate with some of them in the future,” Howell said. “We’re getting more customers from Homewood.”

Howell said he’s also hoping to get the business involved at some of the upcoming community events in Homewood and Flossmoor.

The spirits produced at the distillery are only available in the tasting room as the crew works toward getting their brand into stores around mid-year.

“Right now, we’re working on our branding and aging our bourbon, rye and pecan whiskey,” said Howell. “It takes a lot of time in barrels and that’s why it takes so long in production. We want to be patient and take our time and make it the best it can be.”

The recent government shut down also caused delays as the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau was affected.

Head distiller, Ari Klafter, came on board last year and is developing a program that will allow guests to experience production of the distillation process in a “Distiller for a Day” experience.

The cocktail menu changes seasonally and The Well also offers weekly specials. The food menu includes flatbread with a homemade crust recipe developed by Howell, paninis, soft pretzel sticks and cheese platters.

Paperwork is in process to also bring back beer brewing to the facility. Howell said if all goes as planned, beer will be brewed there for the first time in over 60 years.

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