Sturgeon Spirits distillery opens in Oshkosh with vodka. But there's more to come | Streetwise

Daphne Lemke, Oshkosh Northwestern
·3 min read
Sturgeon Spirits opened at 2663 Oregon St. in Oshkosh in November.
Sturgeon Spirits opened at 2663 Oregon St. in Oshkosh in November.

OSHKOSH – A new distillery has entered Oshkosh's lineup of breweries and a cidery, with a nod to a classic Lake Winnebago tradition.

Sturgeon Spirits, 2663 Oregon St., opened in November with its first product — vodka — available bottled or in cocktails at its on-site tasting room.

Owner Karl Loewenstein, a history professor at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, started distilling as a hobby about five years ago, and while his kids are in college and he's almost ready to retire from teaching, he considered a second career. He bought the building in fall 2021 and spent the past year on opening preparations, as supply chain issues pushed back the original anticipated opening of last June, he said.

Karl Loewenstein owns the new Sturgeon Spirits craft distillery in Oshkosh.
Karl Loewenstein owns the new Sturgeon Spirits craft distillery in Oshkosh.

"It felt like a really good transitional point to try something new," he said. "Looking at the world of small businesses, craft distilling is still a really huge boom industry, and Oshkosh doesn't have (a distillery), so all the pieces really came together."

Sturgeon Spirits is starting small. Loewenstein said he's inviting customers to come in, try the vodka and chat about the process. He will soon add gin to the product line, followed by whiskey — after it ages — as well as bourbon.

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Loewenstein picked the name to honor the area's sturgeon spearing tradition and its significance to the community, including the house he moved into when he first came to Oshkosh, which used to be owned by sturgeon poachers that operated out of the house's basement.

Sturgeon Spirits is starting with liquor but plans to expand to other liquors.
Sturgeon Spirits is starting with liquor but plans to expand to other liquors.

"I'm not a spearer, but I've just loved the experience," he said. "One of the first things we did when we moved to town was take the kids out and hang out on the ice and watch the fish come in at the weigh stations."

The space itself uses pieces of the Fox Valley and its history, from the bar that's made with a reconstructed sturgeon shanty and reclaimed beams from Appleton Tractor Factory to the walkway's ceiling designed to look like customers are walking under a dock, using wood from Oshkosh's old Waite Grass Carpet Factory.

Sturgeon Spirits' building uses pieces of the Fox Valley and its history.
Sturgeon Spirits' building uses pieces of the Fox Valley and its history.

Following supply shortages and delays, Loewenstein said finishing touches are still coming to Sturgeon Spirits, but he has the merchandise and equipment he needs to get the business going — and have fun with it.

"I'm loving it," he said. "I'm just hanging out out here and chatting with all the cool people that are coming in, and I get cool sturgeon spearing stories and other fun things."

In addition to new spirits, he plans on distributing locally and regionally in the future, and wants to host small distilling classes, community events and pop-ups.

For now, Sturgeon Spirits is open 1 to 6 p.m. Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and 1 to 7 p.m. Fridays. For more information and updates, visit the Sturgeon Spirits Facebook page.

Contact Daphne Lemke at dlemke@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @daphlemke.

This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh's Sturgeon Spirits distillery opens with vodka, plans for more