A first of its kind for the city, a micro distillery is planning to open in Moose Jaw this summer. 

A discretionary use application was passed unanimously by city council on Monday night to allow Luby Bower Distillery to operate at 1300 Lakeview Rd. 

City Manager Jim Puffalt outlined the benefits the distillery will have for the Notorious City. 

“This is something that we certainly look at as a tourism industry as well, the opportunity for distillery tours, tasting all those types of things. So, it's a very positive development for the city,” he said. 

Owner and operator Brennan Hilbig addressed city council to explain a bit more about his plans. 

“It's 100,000-liter limit sales through SLGA. We'll be making gin, vodka, and whiskey. Whiskey, of course, takes time, so we really are zoning it on the gin and vodka,” Hilbig said. 

Hilbig said they initially wanted to operate in a building downtown, but there were no buildings that were a good fit.  

Working with the city, Hilbig entered into a lease for a 3,200 square-foot building at 1300 Lakeview Rd. The layout will consist of 1,920 square feet for manufacturing and 1,280 square feet for office space, retail, and a tasting room. 

“The location actually did work out great given the proximity to the highway and the occupancies surrounding it. We went back and forth with the City of Moose Jaw and the fire department,” Hilbig said.  

“There were some legitimate concerns for the hazards that potentially are in the distillery, but I believe we’ve gotten those answered.” 

When asked about how many people it will employ, Hilbig said it is going to be a small operation, to begin with, but talking to other distilleries, there is room for growth. 

“We will be hiring I would say probably five people in six months if we can hit those benchmarks that everybody else hits. So, it's just a matter of getting our name and our product out there,” Hilbig said. 

Luby Bower Distillery plans to be open for business in late May or early June.