Central Florida’s new distillery and blending house, FORWARD/SLASH will open to the public on Saturday, April 1, The commercial warehouse located at 650 S Capen Ave Winter Park, FL 32789 has been transformed from its historic 1950’s Holler building into an expansive distillery featuring spirits from across the country, hand-selected and blended in house.
Incepted by ownership team, Tim Bradstreet of former downtown Orlando restaurant, Rusty Spoon, and Beverage Director for Marriott International, alongside Michael Buffa who founded both the Orlando Whiskey Society and Buffa Bittering Company, FORWARD/SLASH will offer an elevated distilled spirits experience.
“We’re selecting aged American Whiskeys from all across the country from independent farmers and distillers and blending these incredible barrels here at our facility to create a truly unique product. We’re 100% transparent in who and where we source our whiskeys and other spirits from, giving the customer as much information as possible while simultaneously telling the story of the people who made the distillate. We tell their story through the art of blending. And blending is an artform, it is not easy, especially when it comes to working with different mash bills from different distilleries. You have to find that perfect balance and nuance in the blend so that each part can be highlighted and bring character to the final product. Like a musician playing an instrument in an orchestra.” said Bradstreet in a statement.
The concept of blending might not be new but Buffa and Bradstreet aim to offer transparency through authenticity with each of their blends. Unlike many mass-marketed spirits, their labels will showcase a comprehensive ingredient list, aiming to tell the story of the distilleries and farmers behind them. In addition to blending, they will also be distilling artisan liqueurs and bitters utilizing Florida agriculture, highlighting the bountiful offerings from local farmers. Their beverage program will roll out at open with a menu of intentionally crafted cocktails.
“We’re picking the best ingredients possible to make the best quality cocktails so we can create an experience for people – When you leave here, we want you to have an authentic cocktail bar experience and know what’s in your bottle. The products we are producing here are so delicious and so unique, we’re really excited to share them with everyone. ” said Buffa.
With the passing of recent Florida legislation in 2021, distilleries like FORWARD/SLASH can now sell spirits for direct consumption as a tasting or in a cocktail in their tasting rooms. FORWARD/SLASH will open its doors at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 1 and the celebration will continue through their normal operating hours of 11 p.m. Regular bar and tasting lounge hours will be Wednesday & Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. After opening, private tasting classes will begin as a means to offer a specialty guided experience into the world of distillation.
