A famously dilapidated, unfinished architectural curiosity near Cantwell is the planned location for a new distillery.
Local resident Shirley Schmidt says she and her uncle are leasing the famous igloo, a three-story, foam-coated dome by the Parks Highway. The plan involves rebuilding an old convenience store next to the igloo and starting the distillery there.
“Throughout the winter, while the booze is being made and aging, we’re gonna do work on the inside of the igloo,” she said.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, Leon Smith started building the igloo as a hotel in 1970’s. He never completed the interior and eventually sold the igloo to Brad Fisher. Fisher ran a gas station on the property until 2010 and decided to sell it a few years ago.
“It’s not for sale anymore,” Schmidt said. “We don’t own it, but we are leasing it from the Fisher family, with plans to own it.”
Unoccupied for more than decade, Schmidt says the igloo property has suffered. Right now they’re focused on cleaning it up “from all the destruction over the years and vandalism.”
But Schmidt says the structure is intact, and the circular framing is impressive.
“You’re actually blown away when you walk in because, just the way that it looks outside right now, you think: ‘what a dump hole,’” she said. “But when you walk inside, it’s a masterpiece.”
Schmidt says they have no near-term plans for the top two stories of the igloo, due to fire code issues.
“Probably just keep it lit up so when you walk in the middle, you can look up and see up all the floors,” she said. “See the genius behind the framework.”
As far as the distilling goes, Schmidt says her uncle, who recently relocated to Alaska from Outside, has a lot of experience.
“My uncle is head distiller, and he’s using a recipe that was a family recipe since the prohibition era: bourbons, whiskeys, brandies,” she said.
Schmidt says they’re calling the business Wolf Dog Distillery and trying to get the word out about their plan for the igloo. They want to dissuade any additional trespassing, theft and vandalism while they rehabilitate the property.
