The Family Jones is preparing for a final round at its Denver tasting room. The Spirit House, a cozy, chapel-like cocktail bar in the Highland neighborhood, will pour its last drinks on May 1, as the company doubles down on its growing bottled-spirits business. While the Highland space at 3245 Osage Street has served as a neighborhood hangout since 2017, the team says production will continue at its Loveland distillery and that the tasting room will stay open for normal service right up until closing day.
Owners point to changing economics
Co-owner Paul Tamburello described the move as a strategic response to shifting realities in the bar and restaurant world. "Consumer habits, distribution dynamics, and the economics of operating physical hospitality spaces are evolving," he told Westword. The Family Jones has encouraged regulars and curious drinkers alike to swing by for one more visit before the doors close. The decision comes on the heels of a 2024 refresh of the Spirit House, when the brand tested a trimmed-down food program and other hospitality tweaks to see if a new approach could make the numbers work.
What the distillery makes
The Family Jones lineup leans hard into Colorado grain and classic cocktail staples. The portfolio includes Annika Jones Vodka, Juniper Jones Gin and an Earl Grey variation, Ella Jones Colorado Straight Bourbon and Atticus Jones Colorado Straight Rye, along with Automatic Jones ready-to-drink cocktails, according to The Family Jones' site. The company highlights its use of locally sourced grains and partnerships with family farms that practice regenerative agriculture. Distillation and bottling are handled at a larger facility in Loveland, and full product details, tour information and gift-shop hours are listed on the distillery's site.
Distribution and the wholesale pivot
Co-founder and distiller Rob Masters said the closure of the Denver tasting room is "about returning to our roots as distillers" and focusing energy where the brand is seeing the most growth. Leaders told Westword that The Family Jones plans to expand its wholesale footprint rather than invest further in hospitality. According to Westword, the products will remain available online and at more than 300 on-premise accounts and 250 retail partners across Colorado as staff and space are shifted toward production.
Final pours and hours
The Spirit House plans to keep its normal schedule through May 1: Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, 4 to 10 p.m., per The Family Jones' site. Guests can still book distillery tours and pick up bottles at the Osage Street location until closing time. Owners say they remain grateful to Highland neighbors and regulars who have supported the tasting room since it opened in 2017 and are inviting them in for a final toast.
