Sturgeon Spirits Craft Distillery sits on Oregon Street in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, bringing small-batch distilling to the Fox River Valley. Founded by husband-and-wife team Jim and Sarah Kowalski in 2018, this operation emerged from Jim’s background as a mechanical engineer and Sarah’s experience in food science. They converted a former auto repair shop into their 3,000-square-foot distillery, installing a custom 500-gallon copper pot still from Vendome Copper & Brass Works. The space maintains its industrial bones with polished concrete floors and exposed beams, while copper pipes and fermenting tanks create the working distillery atmosphere. They focus on vodka, gin, and aged spirits, with plans to release their first bourbon after proper aging time. The Kowalskis spent three years planning before opening, researching distillation techniques and perfecting their recipes in a garage setup. Jim handles the technical side of production while Sarah manages the business operations and tasting room experience. Their approach centers on using Wisconsin ingredients where possible, sourcing corn from local farms and incorporating botanicals from regional suppliers. The couple wanted to create something Oshkosh didn’t have—a craft distillery that could serve both serious spirits enthusiasts and curious locals. They’ve built relationships with area restaurants and bars, becoming a fixture in the local craft beverage scene. Visitors enter through a small tasting room that opens directly into the production area, where you can see the entire operation from grain to bottle. The atmosphere stays casual and educational rather than polished tourist destination. Jim or Sarah often lead visitors through the process personally, explaining their grain-to-glass approach and letting people taste spirits at different stages of production. It’s the kind of place where you might find the founders working late on a Friday night, perfecting a new gin recipe or checking on fermenting mash.