Eastern Kille Distillery in Grand Rapids has made a strong reputation since its opening in 2016. In addition to producing all Eastern Kille’s spirits in house, the distillery also features an original cocktail bar and tasting room. Seven years later, Eastern Kille is ready to expand into a $4.2 million distillery and restaurant located near Rockford by the end of 2023.
The new project, located at 7755 Childsdale Ave. NE in Plainfield Township, is an 8,000-sqft distillery and production space with a restaurant on the inside and a cocktail garden on the outside.
“This is a new facility for Eastern Kille and an expansion of our on-site services to include food. Outside of the address change and additional on-site services, the Eastern Kille brand and distributed spirits are unchanged. This location will have the Eastern Kille name and operate as a new location for the company,” co-owner Steve Vander Pol told What Now Detroit in an email.
The restaurant in the new facility features a 4,000 sqft dining space with an impressive 32-foot wall of windows, transporting guests into the woods with a stunning view of Eastern Kille’s 16-acre plot of field and forest. The space was designed by Mathison | Mathison Architects, with Wolverine Building Group as the general contractor. The menu will carry various appetizers and small plates while putting pizza at the center stage.
“Our goal has always been to produce world class spirits in Michigan and this new facility allows us to increase production by 3x and creates a natural setting for customers to visit, enjoy food, cocktails and spirits in an incredible setting and learn more about how craft Michigan spirits are made,” said Vander Pol.
