Wiggly Bridge Distillery tries again for expansion in York after whiskey fungus fears

YORK, Maine — Wiggly Bridge Distillery is returning to the town's Planning Board with a new expansion proposal after its last one was rejected due to concerns about a fungus associated with aging liquor.

The family-owned craft distillery on Route 1 is looking to build a single 2,736 square-foot barrel house and a kitchen space for food service in their historic barn building. They say the proposal, which will soon go before the Planning Board, is a scaled-back version of the one they pitched in 2022.

The original proposal was rejected by the Planning Board in 2023 after residents expressed concern about the growth of Baudoinia. Known as “whiskey fungus,” Baudoinia has coated cars and buildings in black near massive distilleries in Kentucky.

The Woods family behind Wiggly Bridge say they have no plans to grow so big as to spread black fungus throughout the town. They also argue science shows no evidence that Baudoinia is harmful to humans.

The family says they wanted to bring a smaller project to the town to show they have listened to residents concerned about the fungus. They say the distillery needs growth through expanded storage, and that they plan to be good neighbors while pursuing it.

“We’re here to build a legacy,” said Amanda Woods, whose husband and father-in-law founded Wiggly Bridge. “For our family and the town.”

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Wiggly Bridge seeks new barrel house, kitchen

David Woods and his son David Woods II started Wiggly Bridge in 2012. They started at York Beach but eventually moved to their 1880s-era barn at 441 US Route 1.

Amanda Woods said it has been her father-in-law’s dream to pair the whiskey they produce with the perfect dish inside the hardwood palace of a tasting room they have built in the barn. The expansion would allow that with a new kitchen space.

The cuisine is not yet determined, but Amanda Woods said the kitchen space would bring food back for the first time since food trucks were used at Wiggly Bridge before the pandemic struck. Currently, the distillery allows a bring-your-own-food setup.

“We're genuinely excited about the prospect of providing thoughtfully paired food choices to elevate the overall experience,” David Woods said, “presenting a menu to accompany our tastings and cocktails.”

The new barrel house would be able to eventually accommodate up to about 1,500 barrels of whiskey and allow Wiggly Bridge to age their spirits for years longer than they currently do. If built, barrels would gradually fill the new storage building over three to five years.

The Woods family says the project does not include an increase in production. The same amount of whiskey will be produced each year, but more space will allow barrels to age spirits for more years to explore new flavors.

“We are hoping to age our spirits longer,” Amanda Woods said, “which means we need another building to put the barrels that we produce.”

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Woods family looks to be good neighbors

Amanda Woods said the last application process was painful for the family, as a concern by residents over whiskey fungus developed. The fungus is known for feeding off ethanol, taking what distillers call the “angel’s share” of the whiskey.

Amanda Woods said her family hopes the coming application process will not be the same.

Residents in York mounted a campaign against the approval of the project that included signs displayed around town that read “Whiskey fungus zone” ahead of the Planning Board’s decision.

“Stop Wiggly Bridge Distillery from soiling your property and risking your health,” the signs read. They shared a link to a page called fungusfreeyork.com that pushed against approving the project.

In response, the town commissioned a study from the University of Maine that showed Baudoinia was present in town and likely coming from the distillery. Wiggly Bridge acquired its own experts who countered the study did not account for other potential sources in the area.

Wiggly Bridge’s press release announcing the expansion described the division that occurred in town as “disheartening,” and the family said it hopes the coming application process can be amicable. They described misinformation on social media that countered science that shows no known adverse health effects to humans, as reported by the Indiana State Department of Health.

A date for the sketch review of the new application has not been set yet. Amanda Woods said her family hopes the coming process will be less divisive than the one that came before it.

“I just really want to send a positive message that our family really, absolutely loves this town,” she said. “We want to remind people that that’s who we are.”

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Wiggly Bridge revamps expansion plan amid whiskey fungus fears