Venus Spirits Tasting Room. Santa Cruz, CA

Venus Spirits is a locally owned distillery run by husband and wife team Sean & Grace Venus. Stripe was charged with the design of the 400 square foot tasting room located at the front of the warehouse where the gin, whiskey and agave spirits are batch distilled. The challenge was to create an intimate, comfortable environment in which to sample the wares whilst remaining in context of the exacting process involved in creating them. Informed by the rather gothic language of a 1920's speakeasy the tasting room is appointed with hand blackened wood, cement tile and an accent of copper, which specifically references the large copper distilling vats in the adjacent space. The triangulation of the back bar shelving structure is intended to reiterate the Venus Brand and their flagship spirit: Wayward Whiskey.

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Photo Credit: Tommy Parker

Design Process:

The tasting room design started with a Mood Board, informed by a a Pinterest page with our initial visual research. The Venus branding and the warehouse space itself informed Stripe's ideation. The branding, while clean and modern in execution, has a distinctly vintage feel that reflects the small batch, handmade process of the spirits. The tasting room is located within the warehouse where the spirits are made, which lead to the design having a strong industrial influence in the mood and feel.

Below is a fly through of the 3D model we made of the space: