Industrial meets Victorian in new Iron Smoke tasting room in Fairport

Iron Smoke Distillery’s World Famous Spirit Factory, Watering Room and Side Show will open Friday in the village of Fairport. That is its official name, and it's to be expected from a company whose fanciful marketing has gained attention along with its products.

The cavernous creation in the former American Can Co. factory pretty much lives up to the fantastical name.

The front man for the business, as well as its art director, is CEO Tommy Brunett, whose eponymous band provides the country-meets-rockabilly soundtrack for nearly every outdoor event festival in town. 

A smiling skeleton dressed in an old-fashioned suit and smoking a pipe called Skully serves as the company's spiritual touchstone. His visage grins from every Iron Smoke barrel and is emblazoned on apparel that has been a secondary source of revenue for the company. Brunett, who refers to Skully as the world's "most interesting dead guy," and a "cantankerous character," said the goal was to create a place where his spirit could live.

The aim of the tasting room is to "give someone an experience they can't get anywhere else."

Industrial meets Victorian

"We wanted to keep it to the Victorian era," Brunett said. "We thought it would fit with our overall vibe."

The era also represents a phase of the history of its space at 111 Parce Ave., off Fairport's Main Street. Some of the buildings in the rambling collection of warehouses date back as far as the Civil War era.

The space is accented by authentic 1870s antiques, including a large ornate mirror and a Victorian-era gasolier, a light fixture that once ran on gas, rigged now for electricity and fitted with flickering bulbs for authenticity. A 36-foot mahogany bar is brand-new but has a vintage theme. A steampunk-looking boiler from another age remains in place. The formal furnishings of the Victorian era, grouped in seating areas defined by fancy rugs and stacks of whiskey barrels, somehow take on a cool appeal in the rustic setting.

The bar will highlight New York state products; in addition to New York-made spirits, it will have two local beers on draft and another 20 in cans.

The food menu will consist of a single item: hot dogs from McCann's Local Meats, turning on convenience store-style rollers, and served on buns from the nearby Amazing Grains Bread Co. Visiting food trucks will augment the culinary offerings.

Adjoining the bar area is a music venue with a stage, DJ booth and state-of-the-art sound and acoustics. But Brunett doesn't envision the space hosting a regular rotation of local cover bands. He is pushing for more unusual approaches.

"We're pushing the art end of things," he said.

The space can be used as an events space for parties, weddings or corporate events. And, of course, there will be a retail display where Skully merchandise can be purchased. 

Tour the process

Iron Smoke began distilling whiskey in 2012 and moved to its Fairport facility — the former home to the American Can Co. — in 2014. It has focused on two primary products: Iron Smoke Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Rattlesnake Rosie’s Apple Pie Whiskey. A maple bacon Rattlesnake Rosie's product is in the works.

The company has earned its share of awards, most recently its bourbon getting a 95.5-point rating in Jim Murray’s 2018 Whiskey Bible and taking Double Gold at the 2017 North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition in Louisiana. Its packaging has won awards as well.

The opening of the tasting room will bring about regular tours of the entire 21,000-square-foot facility, including the smoker, 70 tons of grain storage, hammer mill for grinding grains and state-of-the-art stills. It has not been open to the public for tours or tastings because the distillery wanted to focus on making and selling its products, Brunett said.

In keeping with its New York Farm Distillery license, Iron Smoke uses New York state ingredients from family farms within 50 miles of the distillery.

"People like to geek out," Brunett said, and visitors will be able to get as in depth as they'd like. They will also be able to sample a sequence of distillations, some of which will not be available anywhere else. 

Iron Smoke has been producing about 1,000 cases per month for the past three years. Its sales have more than doubled each year, and the products are now sold in seven states and have expanded to two more this year.

The company started off 2018 with six employees; with the expansion and tasting room it will have 30 by June.

The Watering Room will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Brunett notes that in the evening, the place has a weird, spooky vibe and he swears it might be haunted. He senses it's the spirit of Skully.

TRACYS@Gannett.com

Tasting room opening events

Iron Smoke will host a weekend's worth of events to celebrate its opening:
• Grand Opening, 5 to 8 p.m. May 18, will feature live music by Tommy Brunett and food trucks.
• World Whiskey Day Celebration, noon to 10 p.m. May 19. It will feature food trucks, live radio broadcasts and a special limited release of its Master Distiller Drew Westcott’s Single Barrel Bourbon Select. 
• Four Horsemen Resurrection from 1 to 5 p.m. May 20. A handful of business owners — all of whom have distinct personalities and their own knacks for marketing — have dubbed their gang The Four Horsemen (it used to be three), and they team up for occasional events. In addition to Brunett, the group includes Kevin McCann of McCann’s local Meats, Josh Miles of the Revelry (and others) and Zach Makida of Bitter Honey. The event will include bourbon, beer, meat, and live music from the Tommy Brunett Band and Pia Mata. The $10 donation for admission benefits the Rochester Police Foundation and Friends of the Roc City Skatepark.