Craft spirits maker opens event space (Grand Rapids Business Journal)
A local distillery has opened up an addition.
Long Road Distillers just opened its upstairs, The Rickhouse at Long Road, at 537 Leonard St. NW.
Event space
The space holds 160 people and is available for special events and general overflow on the weekends.
The space rents for $100 an hour for a three-hour minimum and a $500 food-and-drink minimum on weekends. The weekday rate is considerably cheaper, said Kyle Van Strien, co-founder, Long Road Distillers.
“We want people to use it, but we do anticipate to raise it as we see demand,” Van Strien said.
Cocktail classes
Long Road Distillers will use the space to host its first cocktail class next Tuesday.
The class is the first of many events Long Road expects to host in the space.
Cocktail classes will be an ongoing series for the distillery, said Jon O’Connor, co-founder, Long Road Distillers.
“There’s a heightened awareness in the country about cocktails, and it’s just starting to make its way to Grand Rapids,” O’Connor said. “We’re hoping to be a part of that transformation.”
While the first class will be a general overview of the history of distillation and cocktails, future classes will have a specific focus on different cocktails.
The class on Tuesday will be hands-on, as students will taste every aspect of the cocktails, from simple syrup and sugar to bitters and the spirits.
“This class will be history and structure, techniques,” Van Strien said. “We use many methods to craft cocktails and how to make better drinks at home. It will also require lots of tasting.”
Grand Rapids Business Journal, Pat Evans
