x
Breaking News
More () »

Distillery Planned for Site of Old Mill

WILKES-BARRE — An old grain mill in Wilkes-Barre that shut down years ago may soon become a distillery. The group of buildings in the Miners Mills section...
wb distillery

WILKES-BARRE -- An old grain mill in Wilkes-Barre that shut down years ago may soon become a distillery.

The group of buildings in the Miners Mills section of Wilkes-Barre may look like a dumping ground to some, but Nick Rosati of Moosic has a vision.

"It's a gorgeous location. Once it's cleaned up, it should be even better," he said.

Rosati gave Newswatch 16 a tour of the old grain processing mill he recently purchased.

Years ago, the facility gave this section of Wilkes-Barre its name.

Rosati plans to build a rum distillery and tasting room and call it Miner's Mill.

"I'd just like to be able to bring it back and honor the history, and make some bourbon and make some rum and have good drinks," Rosati explained.

"We really want it to be more than just a business. We want it to be a place to be," added Rosati's partner Katrina Toporcer. "(Rosati) has a good business sense. I have worked with distilling before and I worked with marketing before so we have complementary skills."

People in the Wilkes-Barre community are excited. They've been coming up to Rosati when he's in the area, thanking him for saving a piece of the city's history.

"I think it's wonderful to get something new in the area, get things moving again," said resident Lorraine Thomas.

An auto repair shop sits near the property. Owner John Koss hopes the distillery will bring more jobs to the neighborhood.

"I'm just glad that they're bringing some life to the corner here," he said. "It's been vacant so long, I think it'll be a really good thing."

Rosati bought the property last year for $500 at Luzerne County's delinquent tax auction. Now, he's seeking investors, hoping to get Miner's Mill opened sometime in the summer.

Before You Leave, Check This Out