Milwaukee distillery relocates to Harley-Davidson headquarters

Starting in 2026, Central Standard Craft Distillery will relocate its main distillery operations to a reimagined section of the historic Harley-Davidson campus in Milwaukee’s Near West Side neighborhood. Central Standard’s purchase of the refurbished 73,000-square-foot space will offer full-distillery production, a tasting room, distillery tours, private events, and new job opportunities.

Harley-Davidson will continue to operate on the site as it has for more than 120 years. A formal groundbreaking is slated for late summer 2025 to open the new distillery to the public in late spring 2026.

Both companies have a proven track record of investing in the Milwaukee community: Central Standard has previously invested in archival buildings, such as the sites for its Downtown Milwaukee Crafthouse & Kitchen and its current distillery in the Near West Side, and Harley-Davidson has shaped Milwaukee’s economic and tourism landscape through institutions like the Harley-Davidson Museum and the annual Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival.

In partnership with the Near West Side neighborhood and the city of Milwaukee, Harley-Davidson was committed to finding the right partner for the available space, and Central Standard’s continued investment in historic properties and the Near West Side made the distillery a perfect fit for the iconic site.

The new space will allow visitors to get an inside look at Central Standard’s distilling process in ways that have never been publicly available before — including production, R&D, barrel aging, and distilling while showcasing Harley-Davidson history.

The project’s architect of record is Minnesota-based firm HGA, which will also participate in the selection process for the rest of the construction team. HGA was also instrumental in designing Central Standard’s Crafthouse & Kitchen and Davidson Park, also located at the headquarters site.

Harley-Davidson continues to operate on the site and recently unveiled Davidson Park, a 4.8-acre public park envisioned to be a hub of community activity and ongoing revitalization, reflecting Harley-Davidson’s commitment to enhancing its legacy by enriching the local community and its surroundings. Additionally, as part of its commitment to invest in Juneau Avenue, Harley-Davidson recently started refurbishment of the wider campus footprint.

“There is no brand more synonymous with Milwaukee than Harley-Davidson — with more than 120 years of continuous operations in the city, we could not be more proud to be investing in Juneau Avenue.” — Tori Termaat, H-D’s Chief Human Resources Officer and President of the Harley-Davidson Foundation.

“Building on the great work spearheaded by the Harley-Davidson Foundation to rejuvenate the Juneau campus, we’re looking forward to it entering its next chapter. And as we enter our next phase of investment at Juneau Avenue, we’re excited to be welcoming Central Standard to the campus.”