NILES — Progress at Iron Shoe Distillery has been developing since couple Laura and Howard Tuthill began transforming the building at 3 N. Third St. late last year.

With plans to open the business this fall, they asked Granger artist Chris Stackowicz to help them create a whole new look for the former muffler shop that would capture the true spirit of the establishment.

Stackowicz began work on the building July 30 and expects to complete the mural — which will span both the west and south faces of the building – early this week.

When it opens this fall, Iron Shoe will serve a variety of spirits, including rum, whiskey, vodka and liqueurs, and cocktails. As for food, people can expect gourmet burgers and veggie burgers, salads, and macaroni and cheese made from a secret family recipe. Healthy options such as quinoa salad and sides like honey butter corn will also be available.

With an aim to artistically capture the process of creating spirits, Stackowicz’s mural will incorporate bags of grain, wheat and barrels into the design. To further reflect on the outside of the building what is happening inside, Stackowicz will also paint larger than life antique stills — the giant silver mechanism that distills the spirits — on the outside of the garage area. A giant horseshoe, the restaurant’s logo, is also part of the design. The background for the images will be on the building’s new shade of blue and Stackowicz said the images will be black, white and gray. With these details in the works, Stackowicz said he intends for the mural to complement the business’ model.

“I don’t want it to be about the mural,” Stackowicz said. “I want it to be about their business and that it ties everything they are doing together on the outside. The goal is to just kind of transform the outside of the space so that it works with the inside.”

Finally, the words “Discovering the Spirit of Niles, Michigan” will be written at the top of the building on the side facing the Third and Broadway intersection. Art lovers might also recognize similarities on one section of the mural which is designed to be indicative of Caravaggio’s painting of “The Calling of St. Matthew.” In this painting, sunlight light pours through a window on a table of people, or in this case, a pile of grain bags.

Stackowicz has been designing and creating murals for about 20 years. His work can be seen on buildings internationally, including New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Greece, Turkey and Russia.

According to Howard, a number of craft distilleries are criticized for buying their spirits from mega distilleries and re-purposing the bottles with a new label. At Iron Shoe, Howard said customers can expect their products to be made right there at the distillery. 

“We feel really strongly that everything we serve is made here in house,” Howard said. “We won’t be bringing bulk spirits in from outside the distillery.”

Both Howard and Laura said they feel that the mural will reflect that goal to create their spirits locally.

“[The mural] adds to our brand and philosophy going back to how passionate we are for making the spirits in house and doing the food from scratch,” Howard said. “This is a handmade painting.”

Howard and Laura moved to Michigan from Colorado last year to be closer to family, and now call Niles home. Prior to making the move, Howard and Laura had owned and operated the Whistling Hare Distillery in Westminster, Colorado. Running their own distillery was a passion they said they wished to bring to the Niles area.

In the next couple of weeks, Howard and Laura will put the finishing details on the building.

So far, a nearly 1,000 square-foot addition has been added on to the building’s south side. The 250-gallon still has been loaded into the building’s former garage area and the business is awaiting a finalized state permit. Howard expects to receive the approval in the next week and begin production shortly after.

Laura said adding an artistic element to the building will be yet another reason for people to visit Iron Shoe Distillery, starting this fall.

“It just helps transform the space and adds an artistic element that makes it stand out,” she said. “We want it to be a destination.”