New blending house opening in Winter Park

New blending house opening in Winter Park

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.

— TIM BRADSTREET, CO-OWNER