Wood-fired oysters, vegetables from the founder’s farm, a New Belgium collab lager, a build-your-own bloody mary bar and an outdoor stage—it’s a distillery tasting room, just not the kind you’re used to
Seed & Spirit Distilling is opening the doors to its new Fort Collins lounge Oct. 9-11 with a grand-opening weekend built around seafood, local ingredients, live music and craft spirits. Located at 1900 E. Lincoln Ave., in the former home of Funkwerks, the new space puts an unconventional spin on the traditional tasting room.
The lounge reflects the Seed & Spirit philosophy: great cocktails, great food, great people and no need to wait until 5 p.m. Its grand opening, held Oct. 9-11, marks the first public opportunity to experience the new space, including its patio stage, live entertainment and menu featuring wood-fired oysters, fresh seafood and vegetables grown on the founder’s Fort Collins farm.
The move also puts every step of Seed & Spirit’s process under one roof, from malting and brewing to distilling, aging and bottling. The lounge came along for the ride.
“When we were presented with the opportunity to expand and bring all aspects of the distilling and aging process under one roof, the choice was easy,” says Joel Gustafson, founder and head distiller of Seed & Spirit. “The ability to launch an unexpected tasting room experience was a bonus for us.”
The menu is built around raw and wood-fired oysters, mussels, fresh seafood and meats as well as vegetables grown on Gustafson’s own farm, Rough Cut Farm, in Fort Collins.
“We partnered with an amazing local chef to curate our menu options,” Gustafson says. “When Seed & Spirit started in 2022, we had a unique vision for the company—a seed-to-spirit philosophy—that has been our guiding principle. We grow our own corn, malt grains in-house and age and package everything onsite, so making the distillery lounge reflect that was a priority. We are excited to open the doors to the public in October and showcase what local ingredients, fresh seafood and the best spirits in Colorado can offer the community.”
Sunday brunch
Sundays will get a personality of their own, with brunch, cocktails and a build-your-own bloody mary bar starring Seed & Spirit’s house mix (made with locally grown, fire-roasted tomatoes), plus a rotating lineup of locally made pickled vegetables. Build it mild. Build it spicy. Build it ridiculous. They won’t judge…much.
Drink local, all around town
Whiskey is the specialty, but Seed & Spirit loves its Colorado craft neighbors. The Taps Around Town menu rotates beers from local breweries, alongside wine and plenty of nonalcoholic options for the Wagon Jumper in all of us. Whether it’s a Seed & Spirit whiskey, a craft cocktail, a cold local beer or something spirit-free, there’s a seat for everyone at the table. Headlining the taps: Party-Time Lager, a new collaboration with Fort Collins’ own New Belgium Brewing.
“Our lounge will also elevate and support other local breweries and distilleries. We will serve all different types of alcoholic options and NA choices, but most notably our latest collaboration with our friends at New Belgium Brewing,” Gustafson says. “The Party-Time Lager uses Whiszcal barrels in the brewing process to create a one-of-a-kind beer that has quickly become my favorite. We will launch that collaboration in the fall across Fort Collins, and we will always have it on tap at the distillery.”
Come for dinner, stay all night
The patio is the kind of place where you show up for dinner and somehow stay all night. Seed & Spirit is teaming up with Mishawaka Presents to bring live music through the fall and into next spring, with theater, comedy, special events and community gatherings mixed in. Bringing the kids? There’s a Kid Zone so the little ones can have fun while the grown-ups settle in.
“Being able to bring in local entertainment pillars, like Mishawaka Presents, is a great way to collaborate with other businesses and activate our patio stage throughout the fall and into next spring with music,” Gustafson says. “We’ll also activate the patio with local theater, comedy and much more.”
The details
- Grand opening weekend: Oct. 9-11, 2026
- Where: 1900 E. Lincoln Ave. in Fort Collins
- Lounge hours: 3-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday (open for brunch)
- More info: seedandspiritdistilling.com
