There’s one thing you can’t survive without when you’re running a distillery, and that’s a still. When Yahara Bay Distillers needed to expand their homegrown still to a German-made pot system, they needed more expertise.
“We were out of our league and asked all the plumbing companies we knew of in Madison for help,” says Lars Forde, Yahara Bay’s head distiller. “Nobody, except Gary from All Comfort Services, showed up.”
Gary Kunkel, All Comfort Services’ master plumber, knew just what to do. Gary hooked up a boiler to the pot still named “Carl,” and later installed a second still they named “Gary.” “We would not have Yahara Bay if it weren’t for Gary,” says Forde.
Gary, Lars, and the team at Yahara Bay have forged an endearing working relationship over the years. “Gary’s a celebrity here,” says Kristin Kaker, Yahara Bay’s client relationship manager.
About Yahara Bay Distillers
Yahara Bay Distillers started out of an idea that founders Nick and Catherine Quint had in 2007. Catherine’s son, Lars, oversees all the distillation, production, and reporting of production. Lars has been with the company since its founding in 2007 and learned the craft from Nick over the years.
They practice a diversified business model and are slowly growing their label, distributing half the house label brand across the United States and the other half contracting with private labels, like Madison-based Vom Fass, to bottle liquors.
The distillery began and continues to be operated in Fitchburg. It went from a 5,000 square foot building to a new 20,000 square foot building in 2016.
- The first modern-day commercial distillery in the Greater Madison Area.
- First to release barrel-aged whiskey in Wisconsin.
- The second legal distillery in Wisconsin’s history.
Yahara Bay offers distillery tours, a tasting room, and a retail outlet. They have a Public House that features space for up to 200 people for private and public events. There is free live music on Fridays. For more information, visit the Yahara Bay Distillers website at www.yaharabay.com.
All Comfort Services’ plumbing division offers residential and commercial service, repair, equipment sales and installation, and maintenance plans. For more information, call (608) 838-7300 or email [email protected].
