These folks have been working to get their doors open for literally years at this point, and the time is finally almost here! OTR Stillhouse and the Knox Joseph Distillery will be opening their doors to the public on 12/18/21 and with them, they’re going to bring a massive new experience to OTR that is going to absolutely light the neighborhood up.
About OTR Stillhouse
There are two big sides to this project – the space itself, and the then the products that they make. The space is OTR Stillhouse, a bar/music venue concept that is looking like it’s going to be spectacular.
The space, which spans more than 10,000 square feet is an indoor/outdoor hybrid, with a custom-built combined pot/column still from Vendome Copper and Brass Works that sits right in the middle of it all.
Next to the still is the bar, which is a centerpiece of the room that can’t be ignored. They managed to get this bar in an auction when the Brazenhead up in Mason was closing its doors back in 2016. The bar was hand-built in Ireland, shipped across the ocean, and installed in Mason before finding its way to OTR where it gets to live a new life in its new home.
On the other side of the still is the music space, and the massive turf-covered outdoor space. While places for live music are nothing new – OTR Stillhouse is going all out to make it as easy and convenient for their acts as possible, with a dedicated load-in dock, a private green room, and a VIP area that overlooks the stage. They planned this all out brilliantly.
But you know what really gets me excited even more than music? Booze.
Whatcha Gonna Be Drinking?
Part distillery, part brewery, part winery… OTR Stillhouse is home to the Knox Joseph company. They’re planning on making sure that no matter what you enjoy sipping on, they’ll not only have it available – they’ll make it right on site.
Spirits
One of the biggest reasons that it took so long for OTR Stillhouse to open its doors is the dedication to crafting high-quality spirits before they opened. That enabled the distillery to bring home medals for several of its products even before folks could belly up to the bar and try them.
You know walking in that they have good stuff available, which takes a lot of the uncertainty away from guests who have plenty of options of places to go in this city.
Their cocktail menu is designed to highlight their spirits without covering them up with other flavors… of course, you could just grab a little bit neat in a glass and explore it that way, too!
Beer
Knox Joseph isn’t just about distilling, though. When they brought in Chris Mitchell and John Funcheon to the team, you knew that there’d be a little bit more to them than that. When they open, they’ll have a bunch of beers ready to go including:
- Hazy Session IPA
- German Kolsch
- German Pilsner
- Imperial Stout
- American Brown Ale
- Vienna Lager
- Berliner Weisse
- Porter
- American Wheat
- Honey Amber
Wine
Again… I mentioned before that they aren’t messing around. When they open their doors you’ll also find four of their own wines available. They used grapes from California and Washington to craft several different blends that span wine drinkers of every type.
Even More Drinks?
House-made sodas, four different hard seltzers… there’s a lot more that we could dive into about what you’ll have to drink – but I think it’s best if you just go and see for yourself.
When I tell you that they’re going to have a little bit of something for everyone, I’m not joking around.
The Food
With all this drinking that we’re going to be doing – I think it’s best for all of us that we get some food in our stomachs, too. They partnered up with Chef Josh Campbell to create a concept that blends Japanese Street food with Southern influences, and they’re calling it Sqr (pronounced Skewer).
You’ll find meats and vegetables cooked on skewers over the robata. Think chicken thighs, pork belly, wagyu meatballs… it’s gonna be freaking amazing. In addition, they’ll have a smoker on site to crank out stuff like smoked bones to do smoked bone ramen.
They’ll also all work closely together to create all sorts of fun Bourbon and beer dinners that you know will be an absolute blast!
What You Should Take Away, Right Now
This place is going to be big. They’ve put a lot of thought into how they want to do this, and how they want to do it right. That means something in today’s world of craft… drinking. Around every corner is a person with a great brewery, a great distillery, or a great idea. You have to be very deliberate with what you do, and each choice has to mean something.
Their Grand Opening celebration is this Saturday (12/18/21) and I’ll share my thoughts in a little more depth after I get a chance to step foot inside the space and form some deeper opinions about it all.
It’s safe to say, though – that this is going to be a place that you’ll be talking about. It’s a place where you’ll tell your friends that you remember being at their grand opening. Get there!