Dancing Goat Rickhouse

A five-story wood-framed Rickhouse to age 7,800 53-gallon barrels of spirits was built simultaneously as an expansion went onto the nearby Distillery. This is the first wood-rack supported building to be used to store distilled spirits for aging in the state of Wisconsin. The building is not heated or cooled. The aging process of the finest quality distilled spirits relies on natural ventilation, which is provided through windows. In keeping the rickhouse true to its name like those in the south, southern pine, cedar, and white oak were milled and brought up from Kentucky for the frame and racking. The combination of the wood and aging alcohol required the electrical work to be explosion proof. The rickhouse is a Class 1 Div 2 rated building meaning all conduits and fixtures had to be intrinsically safe and sealed. There is also a Class 1 Div 2 fire alarm system installed along with a VESDA system (Air Aspiration Detection Early Warning System) to sample the air for dangerous levels of alcohol vapor. Additionally, a lighting protection system was installed on the structure to prevent a fire caused by a lightning strike.