Whiskey distillery with tasting room on track to open this spring in Harrisville

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BURRILLVILLE – A business producing whiskey and other libations for wholesale distribution, along with a tasting room where visitors will get the chance to sample the creations is setting up shop in Harrisville, with plans to open its doors in spring.

Charles Horwich and Roxanne Igolen will operate a distillery at 252 Harrisville Main St. in a 17,000-square-foot space that previously held Northwest Gym & Fitness.

Horwich and Igolen purchased the .72 acre lot, adjacent to the Stillwater Mill Complex, in 2021 for $290,000 under the LLC, “Knock on Wood Realty.” The business partners have since leased some of the space to an auto repair shop while renovating most of the building for use as a future distillery.

Horwich previously served as facilities manager for Kings County Distillery in New York City while Igolen was that business’s head distiller, an experience that Burrillville Redevelopment Agency Chairman James Langlois said helped to inspire the Burrillville project. Kings County has produced award-winning whiskey for decades, and is said to be the oldest whiskey distillery in NYC.

The independent Burrillville distillery, meanwhile, plans to add rums and other specialty spirits to the menu, manufacturing alcoholic beverages for resale.

“They’re going to distribute their products,” said Langlois, noting that the pair discussed plans with his agency last year.

Langlois noted it was unclear if the business would operate under the, “Knock on Wood,” moniker. Documents filed with the Secretary of State by Knock on Wood, LLC note the business name, “Material Spirits Company.”

“This LLC is currently not conducting business, but will eventually be a licensed distillery manufacturing beverage alcohols,” note annual reports filed by Horwich for the past two years. The owners list a Providence address for their current location on Knock on Wood’s Articles of Organization.

Right now, the Harrisville property owners are also leasing space to the nearby Assembly Theatre, with a portion of the white, single-story building, visible from the BRA-owned property on Tinkham Lane that includes the town pavilion, housing various props and costumes for theater companies. The structure was built in 1930, according to town property records, and is assessed at $186,100.

Langlois noted that equipment for the distillery recently arrived in Harrisville from Europe.

“The remodeling of the building is well underway,” he said. “The plan is for them to distill whiskeys, rums and specialty spirits.”

Town Planner Ray Goff has kept in contact with the future Burrillville distillers, and recently noted that they’re hoping for grand opening in the spring.

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