Brewery coming to downtown Clear Lake

CLEAR LAKE – A new brewery is coming to downtown Clear Lake.

According to the North Iowa Corridor, on July 30th, a Golden Sledgehammer event was held to mark the groundbreaking for 173 Craft Distillery in Clear Lake, IA. Co-owners Doug Summerfield and John Summerfield founded 173 Craft Distillery through a shared love for chemistry, and the desire to bring something new and exciting to Clear Lake. “We asked ourselves what can we do that’s fun for our community and fun for ourselves,” Doug says.

173° Craft Distillery will distill its own spirits and the tasting room will feature exclusive cocktails with an emphasis on rum-based drinks, appetizers and a rooftop deck overlooking the lake. Doug and John’s main goal for 173° Craft Distillery, however, is creating an additional entertainment and recreation destination in Clear Lake. “We want it to be an experience,” Doug says. “It’ll be a lot of fun to have here in Clear Lake.”

During the groundbreaking, Doug and John thanked Henkel Construction for undertaking the two-story expansion and renovation of the existing office space at 306 1sts Ave N. They also thanked First Citizens Bank and Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company for their assistance in securing additional funding for the project.