The Family Jones Spirit House, a distillery and tasting room featuring crafted spirits and food, opened this Saturday, Nov. 11 in LoHi next door to Root Down. The location is fitting, as one of the “family members” is Justin Cucci, chef and owner of Root Down, among other notable Denver restaurants. The rest of the “Jones Family” includes pioneering distiller Rob Masters and entrepreneurs Jack Pottle, Denielle Nadeau and Paul Tamburello, and bar manager Nick Touch creating what could be the ultimate blended family. “One of the perks of being an adult is choosing your family,” said Pottle. “Another perk is choosing your home away from home, and now we have that place: The Family Jones Spirit House.” The new venue emphasizes the relationship between distiller, chef, bartender and guest, with a focus on hospitality.

Designed and built by Tres Birds Workshop, the space was really cool, pairing industrial elements with rich wood details. The high ceiling showcases the second-floor loft where a beautiful 17-ft. copper still distills their special spirits - everything from vodka to gin, whiskey and rum. The still is a beautiful, shining focal point above the crescent concrete bar below. Guests enter the space through a large, square, wooden door made from reclaimed, on-site materials. Inside, they are met with juniper-lined concrete walls (a nod to the key flavor component in gin), low-slung seating, deep blue booths and soft lighting.

“We are making things that push the boundaries of a traditional cocktail bar; we are putting our own spin on it,” explains Masters. “This is a distiller’s dream – to create all sorts of crazy things in small batches. It’s a test kitchen: If it doesn’t work, we can try something new.” Cucci agrees and says his collaboration on The Family Jones was a no-brainer, “Getting to work with Chef Tim Dotson and Bartender Nick Touch, as well as entrepreneurs like Paul and Jack has been incredible; we are all committed to excellence. What we have come up with is a surprise, and we are excited to share it with Denver.”

Their experimentation and surprise elements extend to both the food and cocktail offerings. The menu offers 12-15 small plates, as well as a variety of cocktails made exclusively with The Family Jones spirits, which we sampled during their preview party. Both menus are designed to be clean, vibrant, accessible and had a wide range of flavor profiles and unique ingredient pairings like their classic martini that uses a house-made crème de violet and crème de cacao to add a unique twist. Their Rock-n-Rye blends Stop Gap Rye whiskey with a selection from the more than 100 botanicals and spices made in their distillation lab upstairs! Highlights from Executive Chef Tim Dotson’s menu include three-cheese fondue, served in an heirloom pumpkin with vegetable skewers, and a spin on pork and beans with house-made sausage, heirloom beans, sour cherries, pistachio, collard greens and a chorizo vinaigrette. A tableside bar-cart tasting service rounds out the eclectic, one of a kind experience at The Family Jones.

The Family Jones Spirit House is open from 4-10 p.m. Tuesday—Thursday; 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. Friday; 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday; and 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. www.TheFamilyJones.co

Words by Tiffany Candelaria Photos by Samantha Bliss

Tired of the same old drinks? Vodka & Soda, Gin & Tonic… we feel your pain. And while those drinks are good “go-tos” to have in your back pocket, they can get a little, well, boring. Lucky for you, there’s a new distillery on the block. Welcome, Old Elk Distillery! Who decided to make the daunting journey down from our northern booze hungry ally, Fort Collins and settle in the land of craft beer, hipsters and opportunity.

They are introducing the whiskey smitten Denver crowd to a new, creamier form of the bev. Enter: Nooku, a distant cousin of the post dinner favorite, Baileys. Nooku is a cream based bourbon made with real dairy cream. The drink was inspired by a Native American name for a white snowshoe rabbit who is famous for its lush coat and lightning speed. *Warning* Could elicit desire to let your hair down and run around at a fast pace.

Crafted using high malt bourbon blended with real dairy cream, this bourbon cream is made with only natural sugars and flavors. Nooku has spicy vanilla and toffee aromas, caramel chews in the flavor, and a hearty burst of bourbon finish. Enjoy on ice, in cocktails, or savored in delicious recipes.

We recommend it as a post dinner dessert cocktail shared among friends.

Old Elk is also debuting two other spirits, Dry Town Gin and Dry Town Vodka, both originating from Fort Collins. Unbeknownst to most Colorado residents Fort Collins was a dry city from 1896 to 1969. The town had to rely on bootleggers and underground distilleries to fill their cups and appetites for alcohol. The Dry Town Gin and Vodka are made with a little bit of this outlaw spirit in each bottle.

The gin is Artfully distilled using 10 botanicals; juniper, orris root, orange, lime, angelica root, black pepper, ginger, lemongrass, French verveine, and sage, Dry Town Gin has a smooth and distinctively refreshing herbal, piney citrus forward flavor. The distillation process allows for the extraction of each flavor in a way that best speaks to the botanicals’ true character. The crisp and savory taste comes from the fresh Colorado grown sage along with lemongrass and French verveine. Sliced oranges smooth out the mouthfeel while fresh lime peel creates a crisp, clean punch of citrus that brightens the gin. Enjoyed in classic martinis, modern cocktails, or sipped on the rocks.

The Vodka is hand crafted with a four grain recipe of corn wheat, rye, and malted barley. Distilled using Colorado grown ingredients and water, this vodka is unfiltered, heightening the expression of each grain. The earthy spice of the rye and silky soft texture of the wheat creates an elegant mouth feel and taste. Added corn, produces a sweetness that is the backbone of the vodka and hearty bread notes from added barley round out all the grains. Enjoyed in classic martinis, modern cocktails or sipped on the rocks.

Looking to get your hands on a bottle? Check out this store locator for Dry Town and store locator for Nooku, which will tell you where you can pick up a bottle or enjoy at your local bar/restaurant.

Need some recipe inspo? Take a look at the below recommendations from Dry Town!