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.

Image | Brock Coutts

Caption: Brock Coutts hopes to begin producing vodka, two varieties of gin and two whiskies at Patent 5 in 2018. (Cliff Simpson/CBC)

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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.