Buffalo Bill’s Brewery and restaurant is in the process of expanding its inventory from beer, burgers and wings to include liquor: owners are in the process of creating a distillery right behind the brewery on B Street.

The new Russell City Distillery will produce its own vodka, gin and rum on-site. They will also produce an agave spirit, which is tequila, mezcal, sotol, raicilla, bacanora and comiteca. The distillery will feature walk-in tours, tasting rooms, and a retail store will open also right inside the distillery, according the distillery’s website.

Havilah Kapellas, Public Relations Manager for Buffalo Bill’s, explained that Russell City Distillery would stay in Hayward because of the amount of success Buffalo Bill’s has had. “People love the brew pub and have always shown their love and loyalty for Buffalo Bills so our customers are excited for the distillery,” Kapellas said.

There are over 86 different types of licenses that a distillery must have in order to operate. One of the licenses that a distillery will have to acquire is a permit for On-Sale General for Public Premises license, which is the authorization to sell all types of alcohol, namely beer, wine and distilled spirits for consumption on-site.

Russell City may have some competition in the East Bay. Hangar One Vodka in Alameda has distilled vodka since 2001 while Sutherland Distillery in Livermore just opened their doors in 2013.

  Kapellas explained it is uncertain whether or not Russell City Distillery spirits will be sold at local grocery stores. The distillery would like to keep products local for customers, so there will be retail store next to the manufacturing facility open to the public filled with products Kapellas stated.

The “Russell City” neighborhood was an unincorporated area in Hayward established by a man named Frederick James Russell in 1907. Until 1964, the area stood alone until residents were pushed out of the area to make way for an industrial park, and many of the buildings were burned down. The name of the new distillery is a nod to the old neighborhood.

The opening of Russell City has been pushed back and at this time there has not been a set date for when it will open.

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