While 11 Wells Spirits Co., a micro-distillery on St. Paul’s East Side, is forced to close on Sundays, St. Paul Brewing keeps its doors open across the parking lot, bringing more and more beverage tourist dollars to the city.
What is the explanation behind this? 11 Wells sells booze and cocktails, while St. Paul Brewing sells locally brewed beer on tap.
This, however, may soon change. The St. Paul City Council is expected to vote on a proposal on Wednesday that would enable micro-distilleries to serve intoxicating liquor on Sundays, exactly like beer taprooms.
The city council amended the city legislation controlling Sunday alcohol sales in 2017 to enable taproom beer sales, although the word “micro-distilleries” was not included. In an interview, Suzanne Donovan, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Safety and Inspections, stated that this was an oversight.
During a public meeting before the council on Wednesday, no one spoke out, however the 11 Wells team penned a letter of support, saying, “By affording us additional opportunity to serve the community, we all grow.”
While 11 Wells is now the city’s sole licensed micro-distillery, Donovan believes that as the market grows, that will change.
