Perhaps the most high-profile business project in Monroe County will soon be opening its doors after plenty of prep and anticipation, as well a year’s worth of construction.

Old Monroe Distilling Co. – previously known as Stumpy’s Spirits – will soon be opening a new building meant to serve primarily as an event venue and a place for folks to enjoy the local whiskey that has been made in Monroe County the past decade.

The business is owned and operated by Adam and Laura Stumpf. Laura spoke with the Republic-Times to offer a snifter of what folks can expect of the new location.

She recalled how she and Adam started the distillery roughly 10 years ago, making good use of their existing storefront at 1727 Centerville Road just north of Gilmore Lake Road in rural Columbia.

While the family farm location has served them well, Laura said there’s been one issue regarding their distillery tours that’s stood out to them for a while now.

“The one thing that we’ve always noticed is that when people are done with their tour experience, they’re looking for somewhere to hang out and enjoy a cocktail, and that’s not something that we’re currently able to offer,” Laura said. “So kind of our vision in starting this project was somewhere that we can bring people together to enjoy that whiskey after they’re done here.”

Thus came the idea for an expanded location at 8787 Rickhouse Road, fairly close to the current location as the crow flies, but on the west side of Route 3.

Plans at first were to make a substantial expansion to the family farm, though Laura explained that the development that would have been necessary would have substantially impacted the family farm atmosphere that the Stumpfs enjoy about their business.

“The more we looked at it, we’re like, ‘You’re taking away from the family farm, grain to glass, being kind of in the middle of the field, by paving everything,’” Laura said. “So we took a step back – COVID actually happened – kinda paused the project and reevaluated what we wanted to do. We knew that that property up on Route 3 had been for sale for 20 years or so, and we decided that would be the perfect space. It wasn’t too terribly far from the distillery, and if we ever needed room to grow, it would be the perfect spot sitting right up there on top of the hill.”

The development of the new location has been in the works for some time now. As Laura noted, planning dates back to before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regarding the actual construction, a groundbreaking ceremony took place in June of 2023, though work properly started in February 2024.

Laura emphasized that, though there will be some changes, the existing distillery will still be sticking around, with the new location serving as the new storefront and tasting room.

“We’ll definitely still have the existing location, but we’re able to expand more on that experience,” Laura said. “We wanted to be able to hang out, enjoy a cocktail after your experience and not have to just head right home. We wanted it to go beyond just purchasing a bottle of the shelf.”

Along with this slight shift for Old Monroe’s existing business, the Rickhouse location also boasts the primary feature of an event hall known as the Bourbon Ballroom.

Laura said this venue is meant to be a good option for everything from weddings to business gatherings and other events.

Alongside the Bourbon Ballroom, the Stumpfs have also included a currently unnamed speakeasy-esque space on a lower level of the building, providing a smaller and somewhat darker and moodier space that is available for rent like the ballroom.

Laura discussed the overall “vintage modern” aesthetic of the location given its warm wood tones and “elegant and timeless” look. She further spoke with great pride about how the building and its offerings have come together.

“I feel like this has kind of been my baby in a way,” Laura said. “To see it finally come to life has been incredible. The ballroom is stunning, and I cannot wait to share that with people. It’s got so much natural light. It has the large windows. If this place would have been built when I got married, I would have been really excited to have my wedding there.”

With this addition of a major event space located right off a major thoroughfare in the county, Laura also remarked on her and Adam’s hopes for what the expansion will do for both their business and others in the community.

“I think it’s an opportunity to bring more people to Monroe County and show them what we have to offer,” Laura said. “We aren’t gonna have food at our location, but we welcome you to go to other local restaurants… Right now we don’t have the opportunity to have a place for people to hang out and enjoy the whiskey that we work so hard to make, and to have that opportunity, it’s incredible. I never actually thought that we’d get to this point.”

Adam, too, spoke about his anticipation as the completion date for the project draws closer and closer.

“It’s super exciting to see the project enter the final phase of construction and really start to come together,” Adam said.

He also discussed the hopeful benefits businesses in Monroe County will see given the possibility that the expanded tour options will bring more folks to the area.

“It is in a really unique place in unincorporated Monroe County, almost halfway between Columbia and Waterloo,” Adam said. “To use the analogy ‘Rising tides raise all ships.’ If we’re able to bring guests into the community on the alcohol tour side of things… now we’re exposing people not only to our brand and our facility, but the rest of the community. A lot of times, we point visitors to other local restaurants and breweries.”

With the venue seeing tremendous and steady progress over the past year, Laura said there is still some work to be done, though the couple hopes to announce an opening date in the next few weeks.

“I really do think that it’s going to be a great space for the people of Monroe County and beyond to enjoy,” Laura said.