Tag Archives: cotton & reed dc

Cotton & Reed Distillery Opens This Saturday in Union Market

11 Nov
Interior Bar Area at Cotton & Reed

Interior Bar Area at Cotton & Reed

Cotton & Reed (1330 5th Street, NE) has come quite a long way since District Cuisine toured the space last November (you can see our post with construction photos here).  The rum distillery and tasting room by friends and former co-workers Reed Walker and Jordan Cotton will open this Saturday in Union Market (less than half a block away from the main Union Market building).  District Cuisine got a sneak peak as part of the media preview last week.

A Peak Through the Door to the Distillery at Cotton & Reed

A Peak Through the Door to the Distillery at Cotton & Reed

Cotton & Reed will be open from 4 pm until midnight Wednesday-Friday and noon until midnight Saturday and Sunday.  The distillery has a beautiful bar in the front where customers can order craft cocktails featuring Cotton & Reed rum created by mixologist Lucas Smith.  In their opening run, Cotton & Reed created a white rum and a dry spiced rum, both of which are available for purchase or as shots.  During good weather, the front window will be open to allow a fresh breeze to come in through the bar.  Visitors will be able to get a tour of the distillery located in the back behind the bar area during business hours.  The entire space is also available to rent for larger parties and events.

cr3

As Cotton & Reed becomes more established, they will produce additional varieties of rum.  They plan to distribute their rums to area restaurants and stores when they open.  Cotton & Reed will be a very welcome addition to the Union Market area, and we hope that it inspires similar local businesses to join the area in the near future!

cr4

cr5

*Photos courtesy of Farrah Skeiky from Dim Sum Media

Advertisement

Tags: , ,

Sneak Peak Inside Cotton & Reed, Opening This Winter in Union Market

23 Nov
The Front of Future Cotton & Reed. Will Be Glass Roll-up Window

The Front Entrance of Future Cotton & Reed That Will Be Transformed Into Roll-Up Glass Window

Looking for something to look forward to during the cold winter months after the holidays?  Look no further than Cotton & Reed, the new craft rum distillery coming to the Union Market area (1330 5th Street, NE) this winter.  Cotton & Reed will have both a tasting room and a distillery in the location, which is slightly up the street (to the north) from the main market building at Union Market.  While you wouldn’t be able to tell based upon the outside of the building, construction is well underway inside as Cotton & Reed hopes to open in February of next year.

View of Cotton & Reed from Front Door Looking Back

View of Cotton & Reed from Front Door Looking Back. The Tasting Room Will be in the Front (Bar to the Left in Picture) and Distillery in the Back.

Cotton & Reed was founded by Reed Walker and Jordan Cotton who met in a previous professional life as NASA consultants.  They created Cotton & Reed several years ago at Blind Dog Cafe and have been working to expand and open a distillery with a tasting room ever since.  Cotton & Reed has crowdfunded much of its initial start up money utilizing Indiegogo campaigns, which recently raised over $45,000 for the business.  In addition to the founders, the company has assembled a team that includes general manager and herbalist Lukas Smith, who recently won DC Eater’s Bartender of the Year award.

Future Tasting Room Area at Cotton & Reed

Future Tasting Room Area at Cotton & Reed. The Bar Will Be on the Right in Picture.

While looking for a location, they were approached by Edens, the mega South Carolina real estate company that opened the Union Market market building and that has purchased major portions of the surrounding warehouses and vacant land over the past several years.  At the time, 1330 5th Street was occupied by Samsung Tofu, a wholesaler that operated in two side by side warehouse stalls.  Samsung will continue its operations but has shifted everything into one of the two stalls and a wall has been erected to subdivide the two businesses.  February is the tentative open date, but that could slide depending upon construction.  The building is quite old, and the construction team keeps finding surprises as they renovate (including unknown pipes recently).

Future Distillery Area at Cotton & Reed

Future Distillery Area at Cotton & Reed

Continue reading →

Tags: , , , ,