Rabbit Hole Distilling & Proprietors Partnership Could Lead to a 2nd Death (& Co.)

Rabbit Hole Distilling - Death & Co Restaurant

Rabbit Hole Distilling has announced a restaurant partnership for its new distillery now under construction in Louisville, Kentucky. The distillery, located in the city’s historic downtown area known as NULU, officially broke ground on the $12.5 million project in October 2016. Unlike many new distilleries that try to model their business based on history, Rabbit Hole is going all in on a modern urban design created by POD Architecture & Design.

Rabbit Hole has partnered with Proprietors LLC, the company behind many of the country’s top bars including Death & Co in NYC and The Walker Inn in LA. The multifaceted alliance centers around a collaboration where Proprietors is the operating partner for a ground level bar and restaurant, tasting room, and event space.

From the Death & Co. Menu. — From the Death & Co. cocktail menu.

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According to Kaveh Zamanian, Rabbit Hole’s Founder and Whiskey Maker and David Kaplan, Co-Owner of Proprietors LLC and Death & Co, it’s a natural overlap for both brands, starting with phenomenal spirits that set the foundation for exceptional cocktails. Both brands infuse knowledge and passion into the project – a beautiful marriage between art, science, and craft.

“We looked for a counterpart whose philosophies mirror ours,” says Zamanian. “Both sides involved have dedicated their lives to knocking down barriers and breaking the rules in the spirits industry. Doing something differently, that isn’t fleeting. We wanted the best of the best to be a part of this project, and we’re lucky that we found a match who truly is.”

1st Class Bar – But, Not Just Whiskey

The star of the show is a world-class bar with a world-class spirits maker adjacent. Proprietors will use their varied experience to bring a new approach to the cocktail program, one that will have a deep respect for whiskey while embracing both local and international flavors and techniques.

Cocktails will be divided into four sections:

Refreshing
From the Market
Adventurous and
Spirituous

Each cocktail style will embody a concise narrative and appeal to a wide spectrum of guests. While the cocktail program will celebrate American whiskey, it’s not exclusively whiskey-focused, and will showcase visually stunning creations with modern culinary techniques. The concept will carry guests through indoor and outdoor spaces, including a front bar room with courtyard and a more intimate rear bar with a differentiated style of service.

Two Groups of “Maker’s” Coming Together

Rabbit Hole aligns its ethos with Proprietors to bring a new and innovative bar and restaurant experience to Louisville in the midst of the city’s vibrant renaissance. Louisville’s rich bourbon history coupled with its burgeoning restaurant scene has made it the perfect launch pad for this partnership. It’s a meeting of these two makers to move from production to consumption in a new way, and to change peoples’ views of distilleries.

Proprietors LLC is a full-service hospitality consulting company that owns, operates, and consults on projects within the hospitality sphere. The company was formed in 2007 by Alex Day, Devon Tarby and David Kaplan. Over the past ten years the firm has created exceptional cocktail-centric beverage programs and launched restaurants and brands across the country and abroad.

Proprietors LLC - Devon Tarby — Devon Tarby

Proprietors LLC - David Kaplan — David Kaplan

“Louisville is an exceptional city with great food and beverage, but what resonated with us the most is that it is truly a city of makers. The word “craft” has been commodified within the beverage industry, oftentimes with little meaning behind it, but in Louisville there is production happening every day, around every corner, and most of it is authentically of an old-world craft nature. To be a part of Louisville’s story, and helping to write the next chapter of cocktails and spirits here with Rabbit Hole, is a dream come true” says Proprietors partner Devon Tarby.

Rabbit Hole was founded in 2012 and starting distilling spirits with an existing distiller using all their own recipes and mash bills. Their inaugural products feature innovative mash bills include Rabbit Hole Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey with a four grain mash bill of 70% corn, 10% malted wheat, 10% malted barley and 10% honey malted barley. It’s Kentucky Straight Rye uses a simpler, two grain mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley. Part of their Fingerprint Edition, is a Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in PX Sherry Casks.

The 55,000 square foot facility including the event space, retail, and distillery courtyard will open late 2017. The new bar and restaurant will open in the spring of 2018. Rabbit Hole, which is expanding its distribution, is currently available in Kentucky, Illinois, and Tennessee.