Waypoint Spirits

«My brother Bill runs a still on the hill
Where he turns out a gallon or two
And the buzzards in the sky get so drunk they can’t fly
Just from sniffing that good old mountain dew».
(Good Old Mountain Dew — Willie Nelson)
Turns out there’s also some mighty fine stills operating in a big industrial building in Bloomfield. Welcome to the home of Waypoint Spirits, a craft distillery making and bottling small batches of Labrador Noon Vodka and Wintonbury Gin. The spirits are made from locally grown wheat and botanicals, so not only do these guys make excellent products, but they also support local farmers. Sounds like a «win-​win» to me.
When their Groupons went live a few weeks ago, they expected to sell 400 – 500 of them. Instead they sold 2,500. I bought one of them and we cashed it in this afternoon.
Simply put, we spent two incredibly enjoyable hours here. Our host, John (one of Waypoint’s three tri-​owners) was a delight– he was funny, informative, a great bartender and a terrific tour guide. He poured us a Moscow Mule with their Vodka, a gin cocktail with rosemary, and a straight shot of each. He entertained us with great conversation, and he was just a pleasure to be around.
The tour was awesome, seeing all of the tanks and equipment, and pipes, and stills that culminated in the bottling line where we had the unique pleasure of bottling our own bottles of vodka ($ 22) and taking a Sharpie to sign our bottles. How freaking cool is that?
They offer tastings from 4 – 7 on Friday and Noon to 4 on Saturdays. They even rent out the place for private parties (they hold up to 100) that range from wedding receptions to corporate functions to charity fundraisers.
Whiskey and Bourbon are up next for the Waypoint guys. The three owners work day jobs in the financial services and insurance industry, then work here nights and weekends. So please go visit and support these guys pursuing the American Dream one drink at a time.
Let’s raise a glass of their vodka and toast them with a hearty «Nostrovia!»

I came here with my boyfriend yesterday as part of our CT Beer Trail tour, and this was one of the highlights of our day. After 7 hours of drinking, we were dead tired, but the owners (Doug and John) won us over with their enthusiasm and hospitality. Not to mention, the samples we had of their vodka and gin were wonderfully creative.
They started us off with half a shot of their Labrador Noon vodka paired with a slice of cucumber topped with spicy brown mustard and salt. I’m not into either of those on their own, but the combination was strangely delicious. I normally never sip vodka, but this was surprisingly smooth and didn’t have so much of the burn I normally associate with vodka. Next we tried their Wintonberry gin, which also went down a lot smoother than I was expecting. Finally, we moved onto a cranberry lime vodka cocktail that was delicious. All of these were poured right in front of us while the owners talked about the history of their place. They then took us on a tour of their distillery and we got to watch them fill up bottles of vodka and even help seal them. We finished the visit with another great cocktail, this time with gin, before we had to say goodbye. I was almost sad to leave – they really made it feel like we were stepping into a friend’s home.
Since the tour was already paid for, I can’t attest to the prices of the tour + tasting, but we had such a great time that I would definitely go back. The facility is bright and beautifully decorated, a real classy place. The owners are friendly, down-​to-​earth people who are following their dreams and putting out a great product. My boyfriend and I have a lot of respect for them. They said they’re planning on tackling rum and whiskey next, and I have no doubt they’re on to great things. If you’re in the area, definitely take a look at this place!

I came here for a private event tonight. This distillery opened back in July and is well on its way to producing a unique and carefully crafted vodka and gin.
We had a tour by one of the owners, and he described their full process as well as the craft distillery world in Connecticut. They’ve done a lot of testing to find their perfect blend.
The space is really large, and there’s a tasting bar area in the front. It’s fun that you can bottle your own vodka for purchase. Their gin is not for sale yet but is on tap for a month or so from now.