Now Open: Storyhouse Spirits is the Newest Addition to Distillery Row in the East Village
If there’s any doubt that San Diego spirits are hot on craft beer’s trail, skeptics need only look to the distillery renaissance taking place in the East Village. Following in the footsteps of Old Harbor Distilling Company and You & Yours Distilling Company, Storyhouse Spirits is a whiskey-forward distillery that will eventually focus on American single malts, bourbon, and rye.
Co-founders Matt Kidd and Steve Kuftinec also plan to work with their team of bartenders to create additional spirits for signature cocktails, as well as housemade bitters. The initial lineup includes multiple vodkas (including a Meyer lemon and cucumber version) and a variety of gins.
The Vibe
Located at the corner of J Street and Park Boulevard, the 7,600 square foot building features a second-level mezzanine lounge that provides a bird’s eye view of the distillery production space. The entire space is “designed to preserve the sensory experience of our guests,” explains Kidd and Kuftinec. “From nearly anywhere in the restaurant & bar our guests can see, hear and smell our spirit creations.”
Designers from Blalock & Partners Architectural Design Studio created the “industrial chic” aesthetic with the goal of mixing “past and present”. The combination of cold-rolled steel panels with warm birchwood allows visitors to relax in a comfortable setting without forgetting they’re only steps away from a working distillery.
What To Drink
Expect plenty of twists on classic cocktails, like a ‘New’ Fashioned made with Michter’s Rye, orange and cherry liqueurs, angostura and orange bitters.
Most signature cocktails feature Storyhouse’s own gin and vodkas. The “Twisted Cosmo” includes the aforementioned cucumber and lemon vodka with orange liqueur, limoncello, orange bitters and fresh cranberries with a cucumber/lemon twist to garnish. It’s an easy drinking libation with lots of bright pops that go down smoothly.
The San Diego Mule is also likely to become a crowd pleaser. Made with Storyhouse Seaside vodka, fresh mint, and ginger syrup on the rocks with a candied ginger garnish, it has just enough sweet and spice to provide a complex, yet refreshing experience.
What To Eat
Storyhouse’s spirits and cocktails are best paired with seasonally-inspired shareable plates from Executive Chef Nick Paulerio (the former sous chef of Urban Solace in North Park). The menu is inspired by California produce, cultural and culinary diversity, and all dishes are finished in a copper wood-burning oven that burns the same white oak used in the distilleries aging barrels.
Seafood is a mainstay at Storyhouse. Try the “Oysters Storyhouse” — prepared with dry gin, spinach, cream, parmesan, pork belly, and juniper — as a well-crafted appetizer.
Shared plates and flatbreads make up the bulk of the menu. Pork belly makes appearances in several dishes, including woodfired mussels served in a bourbon-shallot beurre fondue. They’re also found in the woodfired brussels sprouts, featuring pork belly, parmesan, and roasted garlic in a bruleed onion emulsion. Both exemplify the smoky theme without coming across charred or burnt, and wash down nicely with a Whiskey Smash made with Four Roses bourbon.
The Last Word
Storyhouse is modeled after public houses of yore where the community gathered swap stories and share a glass. And that’s how the duo hopes to keep it. “Whiskey is our elixir to great story sharing. We love whiskey, good people, great stories and a comfortable place to share it all together. We are all storytellers, we just like to share ours over a great whiskey.”
1220 J Street, East Village
Hours: Monday to Friday, 3pm - 11 pm; Saturday to Sunday, 10am - 2pm