Eastern Kille Distillery
Eastern Kille Distillery (EKD) is a Michigan-based craft distillery. They are dedicated to creating world-class Michigan spirits and cocktails with a core principle that 100% of their production and aging occur on site.
Photographer
Geoff Shirley
Scott Norsworthy
Builder
Wolverine Building Group
EKD earned unprecedented demand for their authentic spirits and quickly outgrew their original tasting room and production space. They needed to find a new location that would allow them to express their core values while enhancing the customer experience. Having sold their building, MMA worked with EKD as Architect of Record on their Wealthy Street Tasting room with the desire to maintain their presence within the downtown Grand Rapids community.
For their new production and visitor experience location, EKD considered several sites in the region before settling on an undeveloped 16-acre property in Rockford, MI. Adjacent to the White Pine Trail, the site provided a desired connection to nature and the necessary acreage for future expansion. To qualify the site, MMA developed a master plan to guide EKD’s current and future development strategies within their newly found property.
Architecturally, the conceptual goal was to create a unified building form that would bridge the tasting room and visitor experience with the distilling production / aging process.
The new facility allows for EKD’s primary goal of maintaining 100% of their production on site. A simple yet bold gable expression organizes their distilling, barrel storage tasting room, restaurant, and customer experience all within an efficient Pre-Engineered Metal Building steel frame. The exterior is finished with dark bronze insulated metal panel and natural wood which allows the building form to recede into its natural surroundings. The interior finishes invite guests inside with touches of warm, minimalist details of wood and concrete. The visitor experience is at all points directly connected to the natural site with walls of glass, interconnected walkways and a multi-functional outdoor venue space.
The facility will allow Eastern Kille to expand their reach to the greater West Michigan area and beyond, while creating a unique, tailored presence that matches their growing brand.
