New distillery, cocktail bar opens at the Chattanooga Choo Choo

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Choo Choo distillery

Fifty years ago, a traveler could arrive at Chattanooga's Terminal Station, now known as the Chattanooga Choo Choo, and head through Gate 11 to hop on their train.

Now a tourist - or local - can walk up to Gate 11 and purchase a cocktail of their choosing and sit at a bar while resting their feet on a refurbished track rail. The new Gate 11 Distillery at the Choo Choo opened Friday in the former space, which will have a cocktail bar, tours and classes and provide a whole range of products, including gin, vodka, rum and whiskey, said owner Bill Lee.

While the 1,850-square-foot space has seating for 36 guests inside, there is also an outside bar and to-go window for when the weather warms up. Lee and his staff will be distilling and bottling everything on site in pot, column and glass stills that he built.

"This is sort of like a day-time tourist business and night-time cocktail bar," Lee said. "Depending on the day, it will be different type of people in here, I think."

Lee has been in the distilling business for over 20 years and before craft breweries and distilleries began springing up all over the state and country. Lee was general manager of the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co., a plant in Benson, Minnesota that produced 50 million gallons of ethanol a year to be used as both a gasoline additive and also Prairie brand organic vodka.

But Lee, who now lives in Soddy Daisy, has family roots that go back six or seven generations in Sequatchie Valley, he said. Nine years ago, he and his wife Wanda moved back to Chattanooga, and after doing consulting work over the years for different distilleries, Lee decided it was time to open his own.

"Obviously, nationwide, there's a craft boom and there's quite a bit going on in Tennessee, but there didn't seem to be a whole lot going on here other than Chattanooga Whiskey," Lee said. "So, we thought Chattanooga is a big tourist market and this city could support quite a few more distilleries."

Chattanooga Whiskey and Lass and Lions, which makes "handcrafted" vodka, are the other two distilleries in town.

With it's prime location in the Choo Choo, at 1400 Market St., it's right across the street from Chattanooga Whiskey's Tennessee Stillhouse microdistillery and tap room at 1439 Market St. Lee sees the close proximity as more of a good thing, though.

"I think it's one stop now - Park one time and see both of us," he said. "I think it's probably more of a plus than a minus."

Lee's wife will be helping with the day-to-day business operations.

"I thought I was a retired teacher but that wasn't the case," Wanda joked. "We are very excited. He talked me into it."

The couple said they want the new distillery and bar to give customers the "full experience." Customers will have the opportunity to take classes and learn about the different processes and ingredients that go into each type of spirit. Gate 11's gin is made with the orris root from Tennessee's state flower, the iris.

Drinks are anywhere from $10-$12 with shot flights ranging from $5-$15. There will also be small plates available with ingredients from local restaurants, like Main Street Meats and the Bleu Fox Cheese Shop.

Groups can sign up for a "Tennessee Whiskey Experience" where they will learn all about whiskey and even take some of their own creation home at the end. For the first few years, Gate 11 will be serving whiskey from other companies while they let their batches age. Right now, they are serving a Tennessee rye, bourbon and American single malt.

Rum is also not available yet but will be coming late spring or early summer, Lee said.

The distillery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, but the bar is open 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 3- 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1-6 p.m. on Sunday.

Contact staff writer Allison Shirk Collins at ashirk@timesfreepress.com, @AllisonSCollins or 423-757-6651.