Quechee
Norwich resident and Hartford High School graduate James McCoy plans to open The Blue Thistle, a microbrewery and whiskey distiller, in space adjacent to Strafford Saddlery on Route 4 in the cluster of buildings just east of the gorge.
McCoy, a graduate of the University of Vermont and went on to get a master’s degree in distilling at Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University, previously worked at Harpoon Brewery, Litchfield Distillery in Connecticut, Wachusett Brewing in Massachusetts and Vermont Spirits Distilling in nearby Quechee Gorge Village.
“I’ve had a fairly long career in brewing and distilling, beginning with working in the QA (quality-assurance) lab at Harpoon out of school,” McCoy said. “I’ve been in the trenches long enough that it’s time to set out on my own.”
McCoy is now in the process of lining up the requisite local, state and federal permits to convert the space into a brewery and distiller. He expects to open in the early fall initially as a tap room and serving a light prepared-food menu with the brewing and distilling operation to begin in 2018.
He anticipates focusing on ales and malt whiskeys. “I love all whiskey varieties but that’s where I want to focus my energies,” he said.
The space has room for about 50 seats, he said.
