Scott Turczynski at the T12 Distillery
8/5/2026
Scott Turczynski bought the former Landus Cooperative property in downtown Bondurant that he is redeveloping into The Grain District. That project includes 25 acres, multiple silos and a vision to become something similar to The District in Ankeny. Recently, he purchased The Foundry in Valley Junction from Templeton Rye founder Scott Bush. That property is up and running as a distillery.
We asked Turczynski to lunch, and he suggested ordering in at his Valley Junction property. We met at a time when he was taste-testing a new tequila with staff, including Bush who is consulting with the new owner.
“I am here to help until it’s time for me to get completely out of the way. My wife and I are two years away from becoming empty nesters, so it was time to think about a change,” Bush explained.
The two Scotts share a bond reserved for the star-crossed. The explanation for that came up spontaneously.
“Aug. 28, 2010,” said Turczynski out of nowhere.
“May 31, 1982,” Bush injected.
“You were young. I didn’t know that,” Turczynski responded to Bush.
They were referring to the dates on which their lives and bodies were transformed permanently into challenges and destiny.
“I fell over a 6-foot retaining wall, fractured the T12 thoracic vertebra in my spine,” Turczynski explained.
“I was 7. Was run over by a car and lost my arm,” Bush added.
Along with the production staff, they were tasting a new tequila product they were developing.
“Because it’s illegal to reuse whiskey barrels for new whiskies, we are aging different products in old barrels, some ours, some from Revelton. This tequila is infused with jalapenos and lime. Tweaks focus on the percentage of the seeds to remove. Right now, we are trying some with two thirds removed. The seeds give the jalapeno their heat, so we are looking for a kick that doesn’t overpower the tequila,” Turczynski explained.
Whiskey barrels must be oak. Des Moines is shaded by a magnificent canopy of oak trees. Are the barrels locally made?
“No. The closest we can get is a cooper in southern Minnesota,” Turczynski answered.
Twenty years ago, rearmed with a Master of Decision Analytics degree from MIT, Bush transformed a fabled moonshine product of the Prohibition era from a Carroll County fable and historical asterisk into Iowa’s signature whiskey of the third millennium. Engineer Turczynski is developing nostalgic remnants of pre-industrial agriculture, in a farm town turned hot suburb, into a tourist attraction and entertainment destination. Is it ironic that both followed paths leading to boozy destinies?
“I just want to create a place where people can go and have fun. Silos were the intersection between the grains of a mostly rural America and the grocery stores. Now they represent a nostalgic connection to that historic time,” Turczynski explained.
His vision for that place includes condominiums, a hotel and a place to eat and drink. It is still years away from reality. Was the purchase of The Foundry an interim project?
“This is a place to develop our product. We don’t own the property, just a lease. For now, we are concentrating on branding products for third parties. Lots of businesses want a signature product to mark special occasions. Personalized bottles of whiskey make excellent presents for clients. Restaurants like Bubba and Oak Park want a product that is unique for their diners. That’s the core of the business at this point,” Turczynski said as Bush left for the day.
Silos are probably the most visible relics of a bygone era. Industrial agriculture’s rise after World War II moved too fast for them. They were rendered functionally obsolete. Horizontal, transportable storage facilities for grains were more practical. Why do silos even still exist?
“It costs millions to tear them down. I think they symbolize an era that connects people to fond memories. They also are mostly unique to grain producing states like Iowa. They have a positive appeal that can be seen miles away.”
Angela Harrington in Grinnell repurposed that town’s old middle school building into a boutique hotel. A former silo in South Africa has a five-star hotel rating. What will draw guests to a silo hotel in Bondurant?
“We are just the core part of an entire entertainment district there. The Chichaqua Valley Trail runs directly through the Grain District, positioning downtown as a destination for cyclists and trail users. The city is planning a sports facility there, too. Also, we will be the first fully accessible distillery in America.”
T12 itself is a unique brand. Not many businesses choose to identity with a personal handicap. Why did Turczynski?
“I hope to raise money for thoracic spine injury projects. When we are fully operational, we will donate a percentage of profits to research and recovery causes.”
Branding is core to the current business of private labels for individual clients. Is that contracted out to a design company?
“No, that is done in house.”
An adjacent facility, formerly known as The Hall, is vacant now after the most recent renters lost their license to operate a bar. Sadly, it was also vandalized. Is that property part of T12’s future?
“Not for now. If we did rent it, we would use it mostly for storage and special events. Not as a bar or restaurant.”
When the distillery is running full throttle, what will be the core product?
“Whiskey, wheated whiskey to be precise.”
Wheated whiskies are considered to be smoother than traditional Bourbon or Scotch. Is that what T12 is shooting for?
“Bourbon must be made with 51% corn. The rest of its mash is usually rye. Wheat replaces the sharp spice of rye with a smoother flavor. We will produce a full line of products — vodka, tequila, maybe even rum and absinthe.”
How can one experience the products?
“We have a bar and a lounge, open Thursdays and Fridays 4-9 p.m. and Saturday 1-9 p.m. We also host special events in the distillery.” ♦
Jim Duncan is a food and art writer who has been covering the central Iowa scene for more than five decades.
