Destination: Dry Land Distillers - New Location, Expanded Libations

Dry Land Distillers has secured – and marvelously built out – its new location on Main Street in downtown Longmont. I’m not even going to get into the irony of a watering hole being called Dry Land. I popped over to the new location a couple days before the grand opening, on July 9th, to speak with founder and co-owner Nels Wroel about the new location.

First off, it was a multi-year process just acquiring the building with the goal of becoming a destination space to help hold down the downtown corridor. Then the team had to gut the building, from “the underground on up,” Nels said, and deal with asbestos and dilapidation, design, and more. The current (original) space was a starter space and they always had a goal to “become a key part of downtown [Longmont],” Nels said.

Dry Land founders had to “work with the city, work with the DDA [Downtown Development Association], to find a building that was underutilized, and so [they] felt this place would be a great opportunity to bring a building back online.” They don’t expect to have the new place fully functioning and running at 100% till the end of September, with plans to keep distilling at the old location until then. They have a still in process and custom equipment from Rocky Mountain Vessels (Montrose, CO).

In the new distilling space there’s a large barrel and a sign for what they’re calling Barrel Zero. Nels tells me that, “this will be our first 56-gallon New American Oak barrel that will be produced from this location. This will be a whiskey barrel, made with our ancient grain 100 percent single grain wheat whiskey.”

Whoa. Sounds delicious (psst: I tried the light whiskey they now have on offer and it’s fantastic).

Barrel Zero is a parody on the idea of Patient Zero, from our recent global pandemic, and it’s available for you to buy in on. “This is a barrel that we’re selling barrel shares for. You can sign up online. We encourage people to stop in and check it out. It’s $299 and you get bottles, swag, two barrel tastings, and cocktail parties throughout. We decided we wanted to get out of this pandemic mode, so let’s do something that pulls people in and have a little bit of fun with it.”

The venue is also very sexy. It gives off a very Colorado Mad Men vibe, with 50s and 60s style modernist furniture and decor. I had to ask, who’s the interior designer?

As it turns out, Nels and his wife “really developed the concepts for the design.” Open Design Group (Denver and Austin) brought it to life. Accents include using a 4th generation stonemaker to build a section of cinder block wall, repurposing gorgeous globe lamps that were destined for the dump, and avoiding the industrial brutalist feel of most Colorado distilling and brewing locations. This chic lounge is a space where you can relax in comfort, with a tad of sophistication, and with some of the best cocktails on offer in the area.

With a continual focus on expanding their spirit selection, and cultivating their custom cocktail curation, and with three of the best bartending mixologists in the state on board, including two prize winners, there’s no doubt that you’re going to be able to pop in for a great vibe, a soft sit, and a good sip.

The grand opening was this past July 9th. We’ll be on site to check it out. Did you go to the release? Go to yellowscene.com and let us know how it was and what your favorite Dry Land Distillers cocktail is. If you haven’t gone yet, this is your official notice to get up and go.

Dry Land Distillers is now open at 519 Main Street, Longmont.

Website: www.DryLandDistillers.com