Onyx Spirits Co., a local distillery that moved its moonshine and whiskey business to East Hartford from Manchester in 2013, is moving again.
Onyx closed its East Hartford tasting room on May 13 to focus on preparing its new, undisclosed location, which co-founders Adam von Gootkin and Peter Kowalczyk plan to open Oct. 15.
Von Gootkin said Monday the new space will offer “a larger, much more extensive ‘speakeasy’ tasting room distillery experience” and allow for expansion of whiskey aging and production.
He said Onyx will be “announcing some very exciting partnerships” and provide drawing and details about the new space, including its location, in the coming weeks via its newsletter and social media.
Onyx started in the former Hilliard mill in Manchester in 2011, before expanding into the 11,000-square-foot former Wonder Bread bakery on Oakland Avenue in 2013. In 2015, a tasting room was opened.
“Our time in East Hartford has been quite successful,” non Gootkin said. “The city has shown itself to be an excellent partner with genuine support of startups. They have played a critical role in allowing us to grow.”
Von Gootkin added that the company is relocating to take advantage of “a very specific and unique opportunity that will be the first of its kind in Connecticut.”
The company is not ready to share its new location with the public yet, he said.
“Onyx Spirits Co. and its co-founders epitomize an entrepreneurial spirit and hard work which we cherish and support in the Town of East Hartford,” said Mayor Marcia Leclerc in a written statement. “We are proud to have been one small piece in this company’s amazing start. The town places a high priority on supporting all of our businesses whether they have one employee or hundreds and the fact that this company will be expanding into new ventures is a great testament to our commitment. East Hartford will remain in their corner and we wish them only success in the future.”
Although the East Hartford location is closed, anyone with a Whiskey Pass, gift certificate, or Groupon voucher will be able to use it when the new location opens, the co-founders said.
Onyx’s website says that the co-founders and their products have deep roots in Connecticut. Their moonshine became New England’s first legal moonshine since Prohibition, when von Gootkin’s relatives had a speakeasy on the Connecticut River. Kowalczyk’s family owned a farm in Wethersfield for over 100 years and grew corn.
