Planned Craft Distillery In Skokie Receives $99,250 Village Grant

SKOKIE, IL — The site of the family-owned flower shop that had been a fixture in downtown Skokie for seven decades until the coronavirus pandemic forced it out of business last year is now being converted into a family-owned craft distillery and cocktail bar.

Take Flight Spirits plans to offer tours, classes, an event space, an outdoor seating area and a tasting room with a focus on small batches of gin, rum and whiskey.

The front half of the former flower shop is set to be a tasting room, with a distilling and aging operation in the back.

Earlier this month, the Skokie Village Board unanimously approved a nearly $100,000 grant for Take Flight from money accumulated in the village's downtown tax increment financing district fund.

The business was formed last September by Andrew and Carrie Cole, a married Wilmette couple who decided to go into business together during the pandemic.

"We developed an enthusiasm for the spirits industry, and during the course of the pandemic realized that we really like being together," Carrie Cole told Patch. "Wouldn't it be great if we could keep it up?"

In a "leap of faith," the Coles closed on the $320,000 purchase of 8038 Lincoln Ave. in April. The 2,400-square-foot brick storefront had been the home of Marge's Flowers from its construction in 1950 until last the store's closure last May.

Sellers Gloria and Ron Kalmes, son of founder Marge Kalmes, ran the flower shop since the mid 1970s. About 100 cars took part in a farewell parade to mark the shop's final day.

Noting the North Shore's lack of craft distilling options between Evanston and Highwood, the Coles scouted out for properties in Wilmette, Glenview and Skokie, Carrie Cole said.

When they learned of the opportunity in downtown Skokie, they fell in love with the property and found village staff to be extremely helpful.

"My grandmother's name is Majorie, and goes by Marge, so really it just felt like it was meant to be," she said.

The total cost of the build-out, including equipment and installation, is estimated to be more than $420,000, according to a memo from Leslie Murphy, the village's economic development specialist.

The building is set to undergo a complete gut rehab and buildout of the interior, with the floor refinished to polished concrete and a garage-style door in the back. The existing storefront will also get an upgrade and the parking lot will be graded.

Murphy said Take Flight will be the 20th business to receive a grant for interior renovations from the village, and at least 10 of them are still in operation, according to the memo.

The grant is funded through revenue collected by the downtown tax increment financing district created in 2005. It is due to be paid out as the business' qualifying costs are reimbursed.

“The village wants to help with the considerable investment they have to make to create something new that’s destination oriented,” Murphy told Pioneer Press earlier this month. “It’s a no-brainer for us. It’s a family-owned business. It’s new and doesn’t exist anywhere else in the village.”

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The Coles have ordered equipment — including 105-gallon, 13-gallon and 5-gallon pot stills — and applied for a state liquor license.

Once licensed, owner Carrie Cole said distillation of the distillery’s first batch of mash is expected to be underway by the end of July.

In the first year, Take Flight Spirits aims to produce about 600 gallons, but its owners plan to ramp up to several thousand gallons after the first couple of years.

"It's going to start out small, but I have hopes that we'll be able to branch out and expand as we continue to grow," Cole said.

The first liquor produced at the distillery will only be available on-site, but down the road it may be available at liquor stores or bars.

"Once we've really gotten our process down and gotten our recipes nailed I think we'll be able to start to look into distribution, but to start with, we'll be selling ourselves," she said.

The Take Flight owners plan to begin hiring bartenders ahead of an anticipated opening around Labor Day. Additional staff or a master distiller may be added in the future.

The business's name and logo has multiple meetings, Cole said. On the one hand, it's a reference to an array of beverages, while also referencing the young family, which includes a pair of 7-year-old twins.

"This is Andrew and myself wanting to have a family business. Our group is our flock," she said.

"We want it to feel very welcoming and warm inside. We're going for warm woods, lots of comfort," she said. "We want to treat everybody like our family, including the community."