After years of incubation, the team behind the 8th Wonder Brewery on the east side of downtown Houston is opening its distillery to the public this week.

Just in time for the abbreviated holiday week, 8th Wonder Distillery will be open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight. Monday through Friday. Next weekend it will be open from 2 p.m. to midnight on Saturday and from 2 p.m to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

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The distillery offers vodka and gin to complement its sister brewery's line of Houston-influenced beers like Dome Faux'm, IntellectuAle, Weisstheimer, and Hopston.

Located across the street from the existing brewery and its backyard WonderWorld area, the distillery and tasting room were both announced in October 2017.

The distillery will be serving the new spirits in signature cocktails or customers can sample it neat if they would prefer. The same inventiveness that goes into concocting the flavor profiles of the brewery's beer is also seeping into how they make spirits.

"We use the hops we use at the brewery in our gin which give it a very floral taste," 8th Wonder co-founder and president Ryan Soroka said Monday. "Our vodka is distilled eight times to give it fresher, clean taste."

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"It's a much more intimate feel than the brewery space," Soroka said. "We're ready to open the doors and see what people think."

After this week's special holiday hours the distillery and tasting room will be open Thursday through Sunday each week. However, the schedule could expand, Soroka said.

There are plans to introduce whiskey and other spirits later, according to Soroka. Some of the distilling barrels and materials are a part of the decor inside the tasting room, giving patrons an up close look at the process.

"There is a white brandy on the way, and soon we will be making whiskey and bourbon but those be won't be available for a few years," Soroka said.

In the five years since 8th Wonder opened its doors on the east side of downtown it has become one of the most popular places in the area to congregate on the weekends, hosting concerts, food festivals, and even SLAB car shows. It's proximity to BBVA Compass Stadium, Toyota Center, and Minute Maid Park has also made it a destination for Houston sports fans before, during, and after big games.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com.