Far roomier than its previous incarnation at 626 Second St. in Webster City, the new Wildcat encompasses the entire west side of the main floor of the restored building at 713 Second St. Wildcat closed the 626 location late in 2025 in preparation for its move to 713.

Right now, behind closed doors, Wildcat is creating a vibrant local destination that will serve its signature locally distilled whiskeys and select other beverages, including sourced wine and beer.

“This is really going to be the tasting room,” Alissa Nelson explained during a recent tour of the under-construction space. “We do have a very small kitchen. It’s become very apparent that people want food. So we’re still working through the food that we’re going to be offering, but our intent is to at least have small plates. We’ll still continue to serve pizza from Pop’s Pizza and just add a few more other things.”

Nelson has 20 years as a commercial interior designer in her portfolio. She is head of Events, Marketing and Creative Director for the family-run business.

Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Jane Curtis
The bar of the new tasting room is under construction. Banquette seating will run along the wall opposite the bar.

“I handle all design-related work for Wildcat, including the distillery, our first tasting room, and the new tasting room at The Elks. I also provided design direction with LIFT for the upstairs ballroom and main levels. In addition, I manage all marketing design and messaging, along with planning our events and live music.”

Those skills have taken center stage as the build-out of the new space continues.

Equally important, though, are the other three co-owners that complete Team Wildcat.

Nelson’s brother Brad Lemke is head of Operations & Production.

“My brother, and also the farmer who raises all of the grain, (is) the lead distiller, our chief contractor who’s working on the build-out of The Elks, and of course the lead mad scientist behind all of our recipes. He has a background in chemical manufacturing and has worked on our family farm since he was born, so he has a lot of background knowledge,” Nelson explained.

Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Jane Curtis
A wall niche will provide patrons with a glimpse of the distillation process.

Amanda Lemke is head of Business Operations.

“Brad’s wife (is) my sister-in-law, and also the one who keeps all of the bookkeeping, insurance, payroll, and all of the boring stuff going behind the scenes. She also helps work the tasting room, particularly on Market Night Thursdays.”

Nelson’s husband Tony Nelson is the Business Development, Compliance, and Tasting Room manager.

“Tony is in charge of getting us shelf space at retailers, staffing the tasting room and ensuring we have all of the necessary products on hand. He also makes certain that we are in compliance with local, state and federal regulations.”

Behind this latest task was the creation of what the four call The Wildcat Way. That is: Till. Mill. Distill.

Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Jane Curtis
The ceiling above the bar exhibits Alissa Nelson’s eye for detail. She is a commercial interior designer and co-owner of Wildcat Distilling Co.

“At Wildcat,” their website states, “we’re committed to creating high-quality products that we’re proud to put our name on. That’s why we’re a TRUE Iowa Distillery, using locally grown grains and fruits from our family farm.”

That farm is near Duncombe. “We handle everything onsite, from fermenting to distilling,” the website states. “Our spirits are crafted with the purest water from the same spring that carved our cave.” Wildcat Cave, the distillery’s namesake, featured prominently in Brad and Alissa’s childhood explorations of the family farm.

A few years ago, Mike Naig, Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture, toured the 626 Second St. tasting room as part of a Choose Iowa initiative.

“This is very special,” Naig said after listening to Amanda Lemke explain the business. “Look, (what) we’ve got big picture here is that you’ve got a convergence of a couple of things. One is just an increased interest and desire on the part of consumers to know where things come from, to buy local, you know, farm fresh and to know more about that, to have an experience with their food and beverage. And you marry that up with something that we all experienced — COVID — which was supply chain disruptions and I think a growing interest in just again understanding where things come from. How do you shorten the distance between the farm and the table?

“We see that converging here in Iowa. We’ve got a great brand for agriculture. And who better to do farm fresh than us?”

Choose Iowa began in 2022 with an intent of making products from things already grown in Iowa, he said.

“In this case, it’s corn and other grains that they’re producing right on their farm just west of town and turning it into something that’s got incredible value, is fun for people, and there’s demand for what they’re doing.”

At the new Wildcat, the historic front room will feature lounge seating around the building’s fireplace and a place for live music performances. The bar stretches along the west wall of a separate space where patrons can relax on built-in banquettes. Tucked closer to the building’s north entrance that was created when the elevator was installed, is a tiny speakeasy. That room, with its own bar, will accommodate up to 12 people.

“This is where we’re going to host our guided tastings,” Alissa Nelson said.

Wildcat Distilling LLC has signed a two-year lease for approximately 2,200 square feet on the main floor of The Elks. That contract is with LIFT WC — Local Initiative for Transformation WC, Inc. — the local nonprofit that restored and owns the building.

The lease began on Aug. 1, 2025, according to Nelson.

“The space will be used for alcohol service and retail, with Wildcat serving as the exclusive alcohol provider for the building, including upstairs events. The agreement includes phased occupancy during renovations and an option for Wildcat to lease additional space if it becomes available.”