FRANKLIN, Ind. (WISH) — Johnson County’s first distillery is making history again by opening its own tasting room in Franklin this weekend.

Haberdasher Artisan Distillery is the first business to have a distilling license in Franklin since the Civil War. It’s a story years in the making – owner Brooks Bemis started making spirits in the Garment Factory Events building back in 2018. He gets the name from the word for an old-school men’s clothing store — a haberdashery.

“We’re located inside the historic garment factory building here in Franklin where they made everything from World War II fatigues to underwear, to even the Jerseys from the movie ‘Hoosiers,’” Bemis said. “Being in the clothing kind of atmosphere here, we wanted to pick something that was associated with clothing.”

Now, 5 years later, he’s unveiling his new space with a full-service bar and lounge.

The distillery offers flights, cocktails, and a small food menu. Bemis also offers private tastings and hopes to host small events. “We wanna try to keep building our portfolio, getting better at making our bourbon our gin. That’s kind of what’s on the horizon.”

The company makes several kinds of whiskey, gin, and hybrid spirits. According to their website, they source everything locally from the grain to the barrels they use to age their whiskey.

Customers can expect classic drinks like Irish Coffee, Sazerac, or a Gin Fizz, to seasonal twists, like a Pumpkin Spice Old Fashion.

“It’s been inspiration throughout the years of my wife and I traveling to different breweries and distilleries that’s kind of led to this bank of knowledge,” Bemis said. “Now we’re getting to kind of put pen to paper and get to serve some of these cocktails.”

Haberdasher is open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.