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City committee warm to whisky distillery proposal

City councillors on Winnipeg's property committee expressed nothing but enthusiasm for a proposal to open a small whisky and gin distillery northeast of the Exchange District.

Property committee unanimously supports land-use change that paves way for Patent 5 on Alexander Avenue

Bartley Kives · CBC News ·
The window on the future tasting room at Patent 5 will be fully uncovered to restore the facade to a semblance of its original appearance. (Cliff Simpson/CBC)

Four elected officials expressed nothing but enthusiasm for a proposal to open a small whisky and gin distillery northeast of the Exchange District.

Council's property committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to support a land-use change that would allow entrepreneur Brock Coutts to open a microdistillery called Patent 5 in a 2,700-square-foot space on Alexander Avenue, between Lily Street and Waterfront Drive, in Winnipeg.

Plans for the distillery include a 600-square-foot tasting room that would reuse wood and stained glass from the Oak Room at the recently shuttered St. Regis Hotel.

Brock Coutts hopes to begin producing vodka, two varieties of gin and two whiskies at Patent 5 in 2018. (Cliff Simpson/CBC)
Committee members applauded the idea before approving the proposal.

"This is an excellent reuse of an existing building [and the reuse] of a heritage asset," said Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry Coun. Jenny Gerbasi.

The proposal still faces approval from executive policy committee as well as council as a whole.

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