logo sign on bldg
They say thou shalt not covet thy neighbor, but when you're coming out of a pandemic and staring at a gorgeous brick building just rarin' to go, maybe a little coveting is okay.
inside the distillery
The team behind Lake Monster Brewing is guilty of such ogling. The space in question is the historic former mattress factory across the plaza in the Vandalia Tower which had been rehabbed by new owners, but sat vacant. It wasn't long before they decided that the former King Koil mattress factory should become King Coil Spirits.
bartender mixing drinks on a bar
The plan is to distill craft spirits and liqueurs for use in the cocktail room, which will seat around 240 people, with an additional 60 on the patio. They will bottle the spirits as well, but are mostly making spirits to help boost the cocktail program. "We've been having a great time messing with ingredients and botanicals to come up with the liqueurs we want," head distiller and co-founder Matt Lange told me. "Knowing we want to do a version of a white Negroni and figuring out how we can create the spirits for that. It's been fun." Look for signature versions of gin, rum, and vodka, but also a carciofo artichoke amaro, a rubabaro rossa with hints of grapefruit and rhubarb root, and trentaerbe, an homage to green chartreuse with more than 30 herbs and botanicals.
drink and logo
gin fizz in the sunlight
The room is split into different areas and actually has two bars. The one in the back room near the distilling equipment, which will have its own name TBD, plans to focus on more experimental and signature cocktails. The bar in the main room will have a menu more focused on classic cocktail preparations. While they are still working on the menu for the cocktail room's debut some time next month, barman David Curiel ran a few practice drinks down the bar: Everything from the Altered State (the white Negroni, top) to a toasted sesame Boulevardier, the Silk Road rum punch, and the (above) Banana Rum Ramos hit the right balance between spirit forward and flavorful. Not too sweet, but layered was the vibe I was getting.
pizzas on the bar
salads and sides
And unlike the brewery across the way, this drinking den has a full kitchen. Chef Bryan Hurley joined the team from Barbette and the Copper Hen, and he's launching a roster of Roman-style pizzas. Yes, they are rectangular, but don't automatically go to Detroit-style. These are made with Baker's Field Flour and have a pretty bready crust, crisp on the bottom and airy in the middle, actually full of flavor! You'll find a classic Margherita, pepperoni with hot honey and optional pickled peppers, a Lake Monster signature pie with smoked whitefish paté, and more. There'll also be a menu of salads, like a Caesar and chop, plus snacky starters like oven roasted broccoli with lemon and pickled fresnos, bread and burrata, and the smoked whitefish paté with crackers.
three pizzas
AND HERE'S THE BIG NEWS: While the cocktail bar is still waiting to open, the pizza program will launch this Friday, August 18 at 3 p.m. You'll be able to order the Marg, pepperoni, sausage, and Lake Monster pizzas, along with the Caesar and chopped salad, and they'll bring it right to you. Cop a squat on one of the best hidden patios in STP and preview those pies! Stay tuned for more deets on the opening dates for when you can post up for a cocktail.
