Distillery to Open in Plainfield

A Plainfield couple got the go-ahead Monday to begin operations at their Eastern Avenue distillery.

Tailwinds Distilling LLC will make rum and 100 percent blue agave spirit, operating out of a former industrial site at 14912 S. Eastern Avenue, unit 103.

The facility is being renovated to make way for the distillery, according to business owner Jillian Beall. The building itself is owned by Plainfield developer Clayton Olsen.

Beall, who will run the business with husband Toby, said all products will be produced, bottled and shipped right out of the Plainfield location.

“The cool part about it is that we do everything there,” said Beall, who also works as a fifth-grade teacher in “It’s all made and bottled in Plainfield.”

Beall said production will begin within the next couple of weeks at the distillery, which will also offer tours and tastings, similar to a winery or brewery.

“It’s just like touring a brewery, except it’s a still,” she said. Tailwinds will also have a merchandise shop, selling everything from glassware to T-shirts to bottles of spirits.

According to the company's website, Tailwinds will manufacture white and amber varieties of its Taildragger rum, along with Midnight Caye blue agave spirit.

The voted unanimously to grant the company a liquor license to begin distilling its products.

“I’m curious to see how it does,” trustee Bill Lamb said of the craft distillery, the first of its kind in the Plainfield area. “It’s a pretty unusual [business].”

Village Planner Michael Garrigan said the facility will be required to comply with state and federal regulations, with a completely enclosed distillery.

“There will be no negative impact on surrounding property,” as far as odors go, Garrigan said.

The building is located adjacent to the Canadian National railroad tracks along Eastern Avenue. In 2009, the site was the proposed location for , a local Islamic school. Trustees ended up shooting down the proposal, with several citing the building's proximity to the train tracks as a safety hazard for students. The school is now located in Bolingbrook.

Beall said as soon as the building is fully completed, the distillery will host a grand opening celebration.