Small Town Brewery founder plans to bring unique flavors to Cary operation

At the height of the craze surrounding Small Town Brewery's "Not Your Father's" brand alcohols, founder Tim Kovac would snap a photo when he saw the product in stores.

"It's a brewmasters dream to see [your product] on the shelves," he said.

Now Kovac is ready to build on his expertise with a new Cary brewery, distillery and tap room at 3300 Three Oaks Road under the Spirit Water name.

Wauconda, the Lake County village where Small Town Brewery got its start, translates in a Native American language to Spirit Water, which is why he chose that name for his new venture, he said.

Lemon lime, strawberry rhubarb and root beer brews are some of the things that put Kovac on the map via the "Not Your Father's" branded beer and alcoholic drinks.

The drinks became so popular that Pabst Brewing Company bought the formula and name in an effort to distribute the product nationwide several years ago. Kovac wouldn't divulge the details of the deal.

But those unique tastes haven't all been sold.

"Iconic" beers, by Spirit Water, will come in lemon line, spiked tea, strawberry rhubarb and root beer flavors. The beverages are in the process of getting federally approved and could hit the shelves by the end of July, Kovac said.

"[Pabst] took the rights to the 5% alcohol content variation," said Jagdish Chevli, Kovac's business partner. "The other variations like the 10.7%, the 19.5% and higher alcohol content products are still owned by us. Everything we are doing is complementary to what they have on the market already."

Small Town Brewery will cease operations in its 3,600 square-foot space, located off Rand Road in an industrial park, and move to the new 5,200 square-foot Spirit Water facility sometime over the next few months.

The Cary location will offer more visibility and allow for a bigger operation, Kovac said.

"It's going to be a completely new look and feel," he said. "It's going to be very welcoming."

Some new alcohols include different vodkas, bourbons, whiskeys and specialty almond liquors, including a "Sunset spice" liquor with notes of almond, vanilla, orange, cinnamon and honey.

"If you pay attention, you'll even taste the chocolate," Kovac said. "There isn’t a liquor like this. It's about the uniqueness. These are the things we are proud of."

In a given week, Kovac can brew five to seven different types of beer and will be distilling between five to 12 types of liquor, depending on the demand, he said.

Kovac earned a brewmasters degree in Germany in 2009 before coming home and deciding to open a brewery, he said.

His mother passed down a family journal, which contained beer recipes going back to the 1600s. His family's history with brewing changed his way of thinking, Kovac said.

"I took some of my family's homage in making the root beer and other beers that went commercially and changed the beer industry," he said. "We are doing the same thing with a different name."

Cary Village Board recently approved a conditional use permit and liquor license for the business. The board also agreed to assist in costs via a $75,000 loan, according to village documents. The five-year low-interest loan would have originally been under the now-closed Revolving Loan Fund program, according to village documents.

The village closed the fund after Spirit Water's request but will provide the money from its Capital Projects fund instead, according to village documents.

The business plans to bring two full-time and seven part-time jobs to the area over the next two years, according to village documents.

Kovac said he is looking forward to continuing to bring unique ideas and flavor profiles to his products.

"It has to do with my childhood and also to do with my family history," he said. "Those all come together."