Sleeman founder to open distillery in Guelph, Ont.

A family known for its role in the Ontario beer market is making the move to spirits.

John Sleeman, who revived the family'sSleeman Brewery in 1988 after their licence to brew beer was suspended in 1933 because of smuggling, is opening the Spring Mill Distillery in Guelph, Ont.

"It was something that has always interested me, having a distillery," Sleeman said in an interview.

And, it turns out, his family history extends beyond beer, too.

"My great-great grandfather came to Canada in 1834 and built a brewerybut I didn't realize, until a year or two ago, that two years after that in 1836he moved up the road in the St. Catharines area and built himself a distillery called the Spring Mill Distillery," Sleeman said.

"So I thought, well, if my ancestors did it, maybe I should think about resurrecting a distillery just like we did the brewery."

Sleeman said this is a personal venture and the brewery, which is owned by Sapporo Beer, is not part of it. Sleeman remains the founder and chairman of the brewery.

"This is me, going off again, and doing something different," he said.

Tourism and customer education

The distillery is set to go into a development called the Metalworks, located near the downtown in one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Guelph known simply as The Ward. The Metalworks development is a five-phase project that will be mostly condos, with a mix of ground floor retail at least one restaurant and the distillery.

Sleeman said the opening date is not yet set, but they are hoping it will be before Christmas.

A report set to go before Guelph city council on Monday outlines the distillery wants to be able to sell alcohol by the glass. A letter to city staff says this will "provide an enhanced tourism experience and educate customers about the art of distilling."

Room for more competition

Guelph is already home Dixon's Distilled Spirits. When asked if there's room for two distilleries in Guelph, Sleeman said he believed there is.

"They've identified that there's a market demand out there for unique products. So we think there's enough space for everybody, just like the beer business," he said.

He said their focus will be heritage, unique packaging and creating distinctive whisky, noting Canadian whisky is well respected around the world.

"We think we can all co-exist," he said. "We're trying to be different."