Compass Distillers is here to lift your spirits—and perhaps offer you a place to crash as well.The cylindrical tower on Agricola took over the former site of Nauss Bicycle Shop (2533 Agricola Street). Now, it’s not only a distillery, but will soon be home to a cocktail bar and an Airbnb to boot. Compass is waiting on its full-fledged bar license, so for now it is just offering tastings. Gin, rum, whiskey and vodka are the current offerings.
“Anything that we sell in this building will have been made in this building. No exceptions,” says Graham Collins, the company president. He runs the show alongside his friends David LaGrand and Josh Judah.
Upon entering the building, the bar is the first thing you’ll see. Part of the production area is visible through a glass wall separating it from the seating area, and it’s also available for tours. The top two floors of the tower are furnished like a two-bedroom apartment. LaGrand, who is based out of Michigan, will stay there when he’s in town. While it’s not in use, anyone will be able to rent it.
“It’s a great area,” Collins says of Agricola. “It’s very vibrant. There’s tons of foot traffic, there are lots of interesting businesses.” Going forward, the hope is that Compass will eventually expand far beyond the north-end street. “We are literally looking to become a—at least North America if not a world-distributed product.”
