American Freedom Distillery is opening its St. Petersburg kitchen this December.
Originally named America Neat Grill & Whiskey House, owners felt that the concept— located at 2232 5th Ave. S. in the Warehouse Arts District — would do better if its name reflected how it's housed inside of the distillery itself.
The menu is still being nailed down, but we can count on each item to pair well with bourbon.
"We will have a limited menu to start, 10 items done really well," Meredith Koko, the Head of the Distillery Experience explains, adding that the space features a beautiful full kitchen and event space that's already booked for multiple weddings and events.
A soft opening is scheduled for December, and the grand opening will come in 2020 after holiday festivities die down. To start out, American Freedom Distillery's kitchen will serve food Thursday through Sunday; hours will be adjusted to to accommodate the needs of guests.
"People can still swing by and take a tour or do a bourbon tasting all day any day," Koko explains. Because the distillery is off the beaten path compared to the rest of downtown St. Pete, Koko has constructed the space so people can grab an Uber and want to stay awhile. There's even a generous amount of TVs throughout the space for Sunday football.
"We're focusing a lot on mixology and the vibe of the building which is very Yellowstone/Jackson Hole," Koko says, adding that that the decor will be centered around a lot of brick, metals and coppers, with big leather chairs spanning throughout the distillery. "You're not going to feel like you're in Florida. "We want to give our guests a change of pace."
Even your sense of smell will be transported thanks to the wood grill, which will fill American Freedom with heavy deep woodsy smells, which is prime for bourbon sipping. Can't forget about the fireplace. This place is going to be classy as hell.
Although you have to wait a few more months until the opening, you can head over to americanfreedomdistillery.com to grab bottles and merchandise through the online store.
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