Josie Sexton

jsexton@coloradoan.com

Fans of the Linden Street bar Luscious Nectar will have to get their Lushie fix sooner rather than later.

By October, the bar will become Old Town Distilling Co., a tasting room for owner Jeremy Kempter's new distillery by the same name.

"We'll still have a few Lushies," Kempter clarified. "The (tasting room) will be an extension of the distillery but with carry-through of the things we're known for."

Known for late-night weekend dance parties and those colorful, alcohol-infused slushies, Luscious Nectar in its current state will "go dormant," Kempter said.

Brightly colored walls will be stripped to expose brick, and indigo signage will give way to gold-leaf lettering. The shell of the current three-level space will be preserved, but Kempter hopes to hold more distillery-related events and live music sessions on the lofted dance floor.

He'll still have DJs and dancing up there, but it will be reserved for late weekend nights.

For months, Kempter has been contracting with Dancing Pines Distillery in Loveland to make three flavors of vodka, but starting in October he'll also have an un-aged corn whiskey to debut at Old Town Distilling. Then, throughout the year, he'll release the brand's own rum, agave (like tequila), gin and absinthe, all produced at the new Fort Collins distillery on Link Lane.

"I want to supply this place with a full bar," he said of the relationship between the distillery and the Linden Street bar-turned-tasting room.

Eventually Kempter, his beverage director Mark Bystrom and chief distiller Guy Stewart, a home brewer and CSU yeast geneticist, will be making everything in-house from bitters to beer, vermouth, sodas and tonics.

"No more Jack Daniels," for instance, Kempter said. Any drink a customer orders will be made with Old Town Distilling Co. ingredients only.

"It's a great opportunity to do everything from scratch, and in a craft way," he said. "If people have a great local option, they will choose it."