Along Highway 96 in the small town of Dale, Wisconsin, a former fire station has found a second life. Old Station 31 Spirits now operates out of the building, distilling four vodkas and two gins grain to glass. The family behind it, Rob, Tavia, and Alex Hopfensperger, all share ties to the volunteer fire department, so the firehouse setting is more than a theme.
The giving model sets the place apart. Every month the distillery selects a fire department and features a specialty drink, then donates the proceeds from that drink to the department. The tasting room doubles as a museum, displaying fire service artifacts and 9/11 memorial badges. Alex describes the fire service connection as a brotherhood that visitors feel the moment they step through the door.
The family also has whiskey aging in barrels, with a planned release in roughly five years. For Suncoast listeners who know how much volunteer crews matter when storms roll in, the story carries a familiar weight. What local business would you like to see adopt a give-back model like this one?
