Motown Distillery set to begin production in Elevator Building

Craft brewing is expanding in Detroit in more ways than one. The Motown Distillery LLC, the city's first modern micro distillery, is set to open this summer in the Elevator Building.

David Ayyash and Michael Ansara worked in the liquor industry before taking on their own hard liquor operation. The partners plan to manufacture spirits from their home base in the Elevator Building that they hope will end up in bars and store shelves across the state, like local craft brewers do today. They plan to start with vodka and move onto other liquors.

"We are big believers in Michigan and Detroit," Ayyash says. "Our ingredients used in this mix will be all local and exceptional."

"Our goal is to push the manufacturing end," Ansara says. "We'd love to see our product in other stores and bars in Detroit."

To start, Motown Distillery LLC will sell its wares from a martini-style bar in the Elevator Building. The 1,350-square-foot space will capitalize on the 100-plus-year-old structure's historic character that comes from its exposed brick walls and wood beams. "The history of the building was very important," Ayyash says.

Source: David Ayyash and Michael Ansara, co-owners of Motown Distillery LLC
Writer: Jon Zemke

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