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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Wet winter in Northwest increases risk of landslides ... Rogue Valley warm spell expected later this week ... Female pedestrian killed in crash on Corey Road ... Wet winter in Northwest increases risk of landslides ... Rogue Valley warm spell expected later this week ... Female pedestrian killed in crash on Corey Road ... CRAFT DISTILLERY Will the spirits move Medford? Local entrepreneurs want to open a distillery on Central Avenue Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Mar. 22, 2016 at 5:36 PM Updated Mar 22, 2016 at 6:04 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Mar. 22, 2016 at 5:36 PM Updated Mar 22, 2016 at 6:04 PM » Social News Craft distilleries have been popping up all over Oregon, and a couple of local entrepreneurs have set their sights on a south Medford warehouse to produce whiskey, grappa and other specialty spirits. “This is the perfect type of building,” 39-year-old Talent resident Joshua Courter said. “If we could move in today, we could have product by fall.” But the property is zoned regional commercial, and distilleries in Medford are allowed only on properties zoned industrial. Courter doesn’t want to give up on the 2,500-foot warehouse at 1000 S. Central Ave., so he’s asked the city to change its code to allow a small, craft distillery on a commercially zoned property. Mythical Spirits Distillery proposes distilling 52,000 cases annually there. The Planning Commission is scheduled to take up the issue Thursday, but the process to change the code could take a minimum of four months to complete and most likely longer. The City Council would need to approve the code amendment. Courter’s business partner, 38-year-old Lisa Lowitz of Medford, already has a copper still they call “Pretty Penny.” Lowitz said she attempted to open a distillery in the Bay Area but the deal fell through, and then Lowitz and Pretty Penny moved to Medford. “It’s been sitting around for a while,” Lowitz said. According to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, this state is home to 69 distilleries, which produce more than 400 different products. Oregon distillers generated $53 million in annual sales in the state, or almost 12 percent of Oregon's total liquor sales, in 2011. Christie Scott, OLCC spokeswoman, said it’s not particularly difficult to get a distillery license, but there are some hurdles to clear to get approvals for equipment because stills are combustible and require fire-suppression equipment. A federal license is also required, Scott said. Medford Planning Director Jim Huber said staff will have to look at how other cities approve distilleries in commercially zoned areas before it can consider a code amendment. He said it’s likely that limitations would be placed on the number of cases produced annually. Huber said it might be somewhat easier for Medford to change its code because it already allows distilleries in industrial properties. He said the Planning Department has begun looking into the issue. “It’s going to take some work,” he said. Only a few states, including Oregon, are open to the idea of craft distilleries, Courter said. He said he’s been thinking of opening a distillery for 12 years and has been searching throughout the valley for a location that has high ceilings and is in a prominent location for tastings and sales. Courter found a building near where Highway 99 splits that has ample parking, a fenced lot and an enclosed room in the front for tastings. “It’s almost like this building was meant for this type of business,” he said. Courter said he plans to paint the building to give it more visual appeal and to install handicapped access. The building is surrounded by industrial areas to the west of the railroad tracks and commercial buildings to the north and south. A craft distillery is similar to a craft brewery, Courter said, except the fermented product undergoes additional steps to create a higher-proof spirit. He said he would like to take advantage of local pears and apples to make specialty spirits, including a “moonshine product.” He also wants to make limoncello, an Italian lemon liquor. Courter said his Italian wife introduced him to grappa, a grape-based spirit from Italy, that he wants to distill as well. He said he’s not sure how long he can wait for the city to decide whether it can make the change to its code, but Courter and Lowitz are continuing to look at other locations in the valley. Courter said Talent allows distilleries in commercial areas, but he hasn’t found an appropriate location there yet. “We’re going to move into the first suitable location that we find,” he said. “We want the public to be able to see it. We don’t want to be lost in some industrial complex.” Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Mar. 22, 2016 at 5:36 PM Updated Mar 22, 2016 at 6:04 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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