This family runs a distillery in an old fire station

DALE, Wis. (InvestigateTV) — A Wisconsin family runs a distillery in an old fire station along Highway 96 in Dale, with a business designed to support the fire departments that keep them safe.

Volunteer firefighter Alex Hopfensperger works at the family business, Old Station 31 Spirits.

“Right now we’re distilling in-house vodka and gin, so we have the four vodkas and two gins,” Alex Hopfensperger said.

“We wanted to become a part of the community, and 20-plus years ago, part of becoming part of the community was joining the volunteer fire department,” Rob Hopfensperger said.

Alex’s father, Rob, is also a volunteer firefighter. He and his wife, Tavia, decided to honor the fire service when they created Old Station 31 Spirits.

“You start to do it and, you know, I’m on it, then your sons get on it, your daughter-in-law gets on it, and it’s just, and we have that,” Rob said.

“Living in a small town, people just pop in and you get to meet so many different people and people that have memories of this place,” Tavia said. “We’ve heard hundreds of fire station stories. That fire service connection, when they come in the building, it’s a brotherhood.”

The tasting room and museum feature artifacts and memorabilia honoring local departments and those who gave their lives.

“We have a memorial for the 9/11. We do the stair climb every year at Lambeau Field and then they give you badges with the firefighters that perished there, and we are starting our collection of those badges,” Tavia said.

Old Station 31 Spirits makes its products grain to glass.

“We take a department every month and sell a particular drink for that department, and then those proceeds we donate back to that department,” Rob said.

The family business plans to expand its reach when the time is right.

“We’re going to be filling up our own barrels with whiskey and then in five-ish years with the barrel age process we’ll be able to enjoy that ourselves,” Alex said.

The business has stayed in the small town where it started.

“There’s a lot of our fellow distillers or distilleries in Wisconsin that is either in a bigger city or they’re in a tourist area. And as you probably know, Dale is neither,” Rob said.