MICHIGAN CITY | A new facility in Michigan City will bottle prepared cocktails crafted by famed Aviary mixologist Charles Joly, who just won best bartender in the world last month.
Chicago Craft Bottling LLC, which bottles Joly's concoctions for Crafthouse Cocktails, plans to invest $910,000 to build and equip a 10,000-square foot bottling and packing facility in Michigan City. The company plans to hire 10 workers by early November, and up to 35 by 2017.
The new facility should be operational by the end of the year to bottle beverages for the company's anchor client Crafthouse Cocktails, which was founded by Joly.
Joly is the beverage director at Aviary, which Esquire Magazine named one of the best bars in America.
The company uses fresh, all natural ingredients to make drinks that are supposed to be comparable in quality to those prepared by craft cocktail mixologists at upscale bars.
Crafthouse currently makes Moscow Mules, a Paloma tequila drink and the Southside gin cocktail, which come in 750 ml bottles and retail for $19.99 at stores such as Kroger, Meijer and Whole Foods. The premixed cocktails are currently available in Chicago, Ohio, Michigan and Colorado.
"Chicago Craft Bottling found the business environment in Indiana, and more specifically Michigan City, to be very receptive and conducive to the growth of our company," said Patrick Jean-Baptiste, managing partner at Chicago Craft Bottling. "Additionally, the fact that Michigan City is only an hour away from Chicago makes the location as ideal as any Chicago suburb."
The bottling company will make a line of prepared cocktails for Crafthouse at the new Michigan City plant, where it also will produce lines of non-alcoholic products.
"Michigan City continues to be a magnet for new companies that are attracted to high quality of life, a skilled workforce and great investment climate," Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer said. "We are elated that Chicago Craft Bottling chose our community and we look forward to creating a successful partnership."
The Indiana Economic Development Corp., which serves as the Indiana Department of Commerce, offered Chicago Craft Bottling up to $295,000 in tax incentives in return for the new jobs created. The business is also getting local tax breaks.