Regulars of Hotel Tango Artisan Distillery's tasting room have had a pressing question for staff over the past few months: Where's Fatty?

The 35-pound feline graced the distillery until a few months ago when he returned to his rightful parents in Hawaii. See, Fatty was temporary.

But there's a new cat in town, and she plans on sticking around for a long time. Meet Virginia.

"Pretty sassy," is how Hotel Tango founder Travis Barnes describes Virginia.

"She's a cat. When she wants to play, she plays and when she doesn't, she just stares at you and says, 'leave me alone.' "

Her full name is Virginia Dill. On Monday, the 7-month-old was officially welcomed to Hotel Tango as the newest distillery cat and brand ambassador.

And she isn't your standard cat. Barnes said Virginia is a mix between a domestic cat and a bobcat, known as a Pixie-bob. You might see traces of the wild cat in Virginia's eyes or pricked ears. You'll definitely notice it in her tail because, well, there isn't much of one.

Barnes and most of the distillery staff are still getting to know Virginia. Her official welcome party is from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday. Circles Ice Cream will be there, selling pints, including dill pickle ice cream in Virginia’s honor. Polaroid selfies with Virginia will be sold for $5 between 6 and 7 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the FACE Low-cost Animal Clinic.

Until you meet her in person, you'll just have to take bartenders Brittany Thomas and Jack Knowles for their word. They know Virginia the best.

The couple is acting as Virginia's foster parents. Fatty and his predecessor, Fletcher Pickles (RIP), ran free around the distillery, answering either to no one or to lots of someones. With Virginia, the distillery wanted to make sure she had a sense of home, somewhere to go when the whiskey stops pouring.

Thomas and Knowles happily volunteered to be her parents. They'll bring her in for certain shifts and let her rest at their nearby home when she's off the clock. It was an opportunity for the couple to fill their shared home with their first pet, and a chance to give Virginia a place where she would be "loved and just doted on forever."

"She's so sweet," Thomas said. "She's the sweetest, little, most cuddliest... she's funny, she's fast.

"She's just absolutely perfect."

Virginia is still adjusting to the distillery life. Let her loose on the floor and she squats under chairs, eyeing her suitors with a tinge of suspicion. She quickly darts across the room, runs a few circles around the fireplace (reportedly her favorite hiding spot) and jumps on a nearby couch.

Perched on her couch, Virginia loosens up, batting at cat toys and licking feathers, all while making you work for her attention. And people will work.

After a few months without Fatty, distillery staff are excited to welcome a new feline, and they expect customers will be, too.

"I think for some folks, it's a little unusual," Barnes said. "But for most people, it's kind of unique and refreshing that we do it, and people really seem to enjoy it."

What's in a name

Virginia Dill's namesake has layers. "Virginia" is a nod to Hotel Tango's home on Virginia Avenue, and to Barnes' grandmother.

But Dill? That's an homage to Hotel Tango's OG distillery cat, Fletcher Pickles. Fletcher, also a Pixie-bob, was brought to the distillery out of tradition and need.

When the distillery first opened in 2014, Barnes and others did some research and learned that the cat was once considered the "patron saint of distilleries."

"They're the grain protectors," he explained. "If you have an old building, dry grain and a warm place, you're going to get mice. So cats kind of naturally became the protector of the grain for distilleries in Scotland."

Fletcher Pickles became more than a "mouser," though. He came to represent the tasting room's personality. He even got an Instagram account. He was a bonafide brand ambassador and the highlight for many visitors.

Fletcher died tragically in January 2018 after a fall from the roof. Later that year, Fatty came to the distillery on an interim basis, stealing and healing hearts. He belonged to one of Barnes' good friends and a fellow Marine. Hotel Tango watched over Fatty while his dad was deployed, and when he returned, off Fatty went.

And now Virginia, who is probably just here for the cuddles and admiration, is the successor of a beloved legacy. She will be tasked with reigning over the Hotel Tango tasting room, gracing our Instagram feeds and sitting pretty.

"I think they need to have something that stands out," Barnes said of a good distillery cat. "whether it's the personality, the look, the feel, but I think it's yet to be determined with Virginia.

"I think she's going to grow into her own and I look forward to see how she becomes a unique distillery cat."

Contact IndyStar reporter Elizabeth DePompei at 317-444-6196 or edepompei@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @edepompei.