Dogs line the walls at DoG Distilling Co. ↓
How a group of friends transformed an 1868 schoolhouse into a dogfriendly distillery and one of the summer’s hottest hangout spots By David Shaw Photos Courtesy of Emma Parker Story Design by Andrew Thomas
small, at-home alcohol still nicknamed Francisco and some flavored vodka experimentation turned out to be the first dominos to fall in a series of events resulting in the opening of DoG Distilling Company in June, Delaware County’s only craft distillery. Unlike so many pandemicera hobbies that faded as restrictions loosened, co-owners Kevin & Lauri Webb allowed their lockdownaccelerated passion for liquor distillation to blossom into visions of a post-empty nest life chapter. Faced with a soon-to-be empty house and a pair of kids off to college, the Webbs began to toy with the idea of turning distillation into a full-fledged business venture, first envisioned as an on-site tasting room on the couple’s five-acre Galena-area property. The idea was shared with long-time friends Wes and Kelly Stark, ultimately roping the couple into the endeavor and creating what is now DoG Distilling Company’s joint ownership group.
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The only distillery in Delaware County, DoG offers several varieties of whiskey, with plans to make vodka and gin soon ↓
“We were talking to them at dinner one night, that we had this crazy idea, that we were going to do this,” said co-owner Kevin Webb. “And then I think Wes was pretty excited about it, so it was a few days later he calls us and says, ‘Hey, would you like a partner in this whole crazy thing?’” After collecting petition signatures in an attempt to zone the Webbs’ property for alcoholrelated use, property partition restrictions forced the group to pivot to an off-site, yet-to-be-discovered location. Kelly Stark is credited with discovering what would ultimately turn out to be DoG Distilling Company’s home, an 1868 Ohio schoolhouse that previously served as a Christmas-themed gift shop and pottery studio. While collecting a fresh round of signatures to put this new location’s alcohol-related use to county vote, the Webbs and Starks fielded an abundance of community input on the type of drinking establishment locals wanted to see.