Distillery plans give iconic St. John's hardware store a boost in spirits

For 150 years, the Templeton's store served the hardware needs ofSt. John's. Soon it could be serving them drinks.

Wooden Walls Distilling Company is planningto open up the city's first craftdistillery in the iconic Harbour Drivebuilding.

"We're trying to maintain as much of the nuance of theTempleton'sspace that we can,"said ChrisDowden, a co-owner of the company.

Their plans include a tasting room complete with house-made cocktails, locally made beers and assorted snacks,ashopfor distillery merchandise,and guided tours of the facility that will incorporate stories from the building'shistory it was home to the family-run Templeton'shardware store, which closed in late 2016 after 150 years of business.

"The painted Templeton's logos will most definitely stay," he said.

With lounge-style furniture on order for the new space, Dowden is hoping the distillery and restaurant willoffer a completely new experience for diners and drinkers in the city a place where people feel "like they're in their livingroom."

But before that can happen, he said the building needs a serious overhaul.

"It was a hardware store, let's just say that," he said, laughing.

Craft distilleries on the rise

The company will start with so-called white spirits like vodka and gin. They've got their sights on whiskey and rum, too, those take a bit more time, he said.

Dowdenwants to partner with local growers and foragers to create smaller-run specialty products with local ingredients, too.

Craft distilling is a "strongly emerging market," he said, and with the success of so many craft breweries in the province, Dowdensaid now's the time to pop the cork.

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He doesn't see Wooden Walls taking business away from any of the planned oralready-established breweries downtown, either.

"If they're willing, I very much expect to be carrying their products in our shop," he said.

In fact, the approval process with the City of St. John's has forced some bylaw changes that will now make it easier for breweries and distilleries to open, he said.

Right now, Wooden Walls is in the final stages of obtaining that approval from the city. Though he's nervous to pin down an exact date for opening "It could jinx us!" he said he's hoping to be in time for 2019's tourism season.

"It's exciting for the industry as a whole," he said.

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