A new blending house specializing in whiskey is currently being built out in a vacant warehouse in a section of Winter Park that’s seen a lot of growth in the past few years.
Forward/Slash (Instagram) will specialize in new premium blended whiskey, bourbon, vodka, bitters, and liqueurs, using products from quality distilleries from around the country and then mixed and mingled on site. The concept is being led by co-owners Michael Buffa and Tim Bradstreet, who are already hard at work converting their warehouse at 650 S. Capen Avenue [GMap] into their new venue.
Bradstreet comes to the table with stints as Beverage Operations Director for Marriott International and Gaylord Hotels as well as a rep for Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries. He was also on the team that opened The Rusty Spoon back in 2011. Buffa is the owner of boutique bitters company, The Buffa Bittering Company, is the founder and president of the Orlando Whiskey Society, and has worked in commercial real estate and as an Alumni Rep for nearby Rollins College.
“We’re not just going to be blending facility, we’re going to be a whole experience. We want to provide some of the best customer service around, and really focus on the overall brand and feel of the space. We’re really excited to show Winter Park what we’ve got.
– TIM BRADSTREET, CO-OWNER
Once complete, Forward/Slash will feature a covered patio, a craft cocktail bar and tasting room, a VIP/event room for classes and private events, and a massive warehouse space to store and mix new products.
Bradstreet and Buffa hope to open Forward/Slash by the end of the year.
We told you HERE in April that Swine and Sons and The Courtesy will be shacking up in the former Winter Park Distilling space, just up the street in the Winter Park Social House, which is located at 1282 N. Orange Avenue [GMap].
