After three years in the works, the Central Standard Tavern opened at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport on Wednesday.
The tavern, which occupies a prominent space at the end of Concourse C, opened to the traveling public immediately after an early afternoon ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew a large crowd of curious onlookers.
This marks the latest expansion project for the 12-year-old distillery, which also operates its original Downtown Crafthouse & Kitchen (320 E. Clybourn Ave.) and is in the process of shifting its main distillery operations to a space within Harley-Davidson’s redeveloping West Side headquarters campus.
The Central Standard Tavern occupies about 1,100 square feet at the airport and features a four-sided bar with seating for 51 patrons, as well as adjacent drink rails.
“Today is a big day for us,” Central Standard co-owner Pat McQuillan said at the grand-opening event. “It’s an exciting extension of our brand and hospitality experience. This space represents years of hard work and great partnerships.”
The tavern, developed in partnership with airport food and beverage vendor, Virginia-based SSP America, features a beverage and food menu that includes Central Standard’s signature cocktail recipes. Travelers can also purchase Central Standard products to go and its spirits will also be available throughout the airport’s other bars, restaurants and retail shops.
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“This new addition reflects the spirit, flavor and craftiness of Milwaukee. We’re always excited to showcase our local brands, our community and the culture of Wisconsin,” Mitchell Airport Director Brian Dranzik said.
Mitchell Airport worked with a variety of area businesses in recent years, including The Bartolotta Restaurants and V&J Foods, to bring local flavor to the concourses.
“We’re committed to showcasing the very best of our city to local travelers and those from across the world. It’s additions like this that remind travelers what makes our hometown airport special,” Dranzik said. “We know Milwaukee-based travelers are loyal to our hometown brands, but we also want our visitors to get a taste of what our food and beverage scene is all about, and brands like Central Standard give travelers an authentic sense of Milwaukee.”
Founded in 2014, Central Standard is a small batch, craft distillery that handcrafts bourbon, whiskey, vodka and gin from locally sourced ingredients, including cherries grown in Door County and honey harvested in Germantown.
“This expansion of Central Standard’s brand represents another exciting step in showcasing Milwaukee’s creativity and our entrepreneurial spirit to travelers,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley at the grand opening. “Central Standard is really helping us to highlight the strength of our local businesses and the pride that we take in sharing Milwaukee County’s story with every visitor who passes through. Our airport is often not just the first but the last impression people have of Milwaukee County and what we choose to highlight here really matters.”
Central Standard’s Chief Commercial Officer Jim Kanter said the airport space is designed to “be a place to gather, connect and get a genuine taste of Milwaukee hospitality, whether you’re just arriving or on your way out.”
McQuillan told Milwaukee Magazine in an interview after the ceremony that Mitchell Airport officials approached Central Standard three years ago about opening an operation at the airport. “We’re flattered that they approached us,” he said. “It’s been a labor of love to get to this point, but we’re super excited. We wanted to be able to bring local flavor to the airport. And we hope people here at the airport enjoy it.”
While getting the airport tavern up and running, Central Standard is also moving forward with its 73,000-square-foot distillery on the Harley-Davidson campus, McQuillan said. Central Standard currently distills products at a much smaller facility at 2330 W. Clybourn St.
“We’re just about ready to start construction and we’re almost done with permitting, so everything is ready to go,” he said.
The distillery, which will feature a public-facing tasting room, will likely open in August or September, McQuillan said.
