Co-founders Ian Monagle and Randy Taylor show off new Bensalem vodka and whiskey distillery
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
New life has been breathed into the former rubber factory of 60 years located at 2685 Bristol Pike in Bensalem. Not only has the building been transformed and modernized, it’s quickly becoming the go-to weekend spot for locals.
On Saturday, Sept. 29, 1675 Spirits officially opened its doors to the public, bringing to the area one of the first vodka and whiskey distilleries. To see the intricate details that were put into designing the space, in addition to the high quality and volume of its products, one would think an entire team is working behind the scenes. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The masterminds behind 1675 Spirits are longtime friends Ian Monagle and Randy Taylor. At only 25 and 26 years old, respectively, the two Conwell-Egan graduates do it all, from construction and bartending to hand-crafting their own bottle labels.
On a recent Wednesday, The Times stopped by the distillery to see the co-founders in action and steal a glimpse of the well-oiled machine that is 1675 Spirits. According to Monagle and Taylor, the dream of running their own business has been a long time coming.
Approximately five years ago, Taylor tried his hand at beer brewing and quickly fell in love with the industry. He left his position as a machinist, which he held since graduating from high school, and landed a job as a bartender. Meanwhile, Monagle was immersed in the service industry, working in management and consulting for area bars.
“The idea actually stemmed from when he was brewing beer to do some type of thing within this industry,” Monagle said of 1675 Spirits. “We were working together at the same bar, and then that sort of led into the possibility of getting into this and starting a venture on our own. We always knew we wanted to do something on our own. It was just a matter of what and the right timing.”
Taylor echoed his friend’s sentiment.
“It was pretty much just us trying to figure out what we were going to do,” he said. “And doing it took about four years.”
But those years were well spent, and the two determined that vodka and whiskey, rather than beer, would bring them the most success.
“They’re just two industry standards, very high-volume consuming,” Monagle said. “We also wanted to introduce an American whiskey into the local marketplace and then also come across with a premium local vodka as well.”
Though Monagle and Taylor hope to expand their product offerings in the future, the community seems to be content so far with vodka and whiskey, both of which are handcrafted by them onsite. 1675 Spirits is open to the public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“People can come in and get cocktails. We tried to bring a little bit of a different element to the bar scene in this area as well, so people are able to come in and see the whole process, see what we’re doing and then also enjoy a cocktail, buy a bottle,” Monagle said. “And then during the week, it’s just full production, distribution.”
Customers can enjoy traditional cocktails such as an old fashioned or cosmopolitan, as well as unique drinks that change on a weekly basis. Past offerings have included the “Maple Manhattan” made from 1675 whiskey, maple, fresh lemon and bitters, and the “King’s Coffee,” which featured 1675 vodka, cold brew, marshmallow and s’mores. The menu also includes fresh fruit cocktails, which are crafted with local produce.
1675 Spirits prides itself on using all locally sourced ingredients. Even the decor, including the tree bark tables, has area ties.
“Everything is local. The flags are out of the grade school that closed down around here. The bar is out of Northern Bucks County, it was an old bar. All the wood is all reclaimed wood from the same tree in Bucks County,” Taylor explained.
“We tried to reclaim throughout the process as much as we could. When we came into the building, anything that we could salvage, reuse,” said Monagle. “We tried to do that throughout the whole entire process.”
As for the name of the distillery, Monagle and Taylor drew from the history that’s mere feet away from the building. The road directly outside, according to Monagle, is historically called “Kings Highway” and dates to 1675.
“It’s the oldest highway to date in the continental United States,” he said. “So we wanted to brand off the historic aspect. There’s tons of history not only in the Philadelphia area but also in this area of Bensalem. We wanted to kind of bring that forward and bring some of the history aspect into our brand.”
Currently, bottles of 1675 Spirits vodka and whiskey are available for purchase, each emblazoned with an exquisite metal label handcrafted by Monagle and Taylor.
“We buy the metal direct, cut it down, stamp it with tool and die machines, hand hit each bottle number on each bottle, and finish with hand dipped wax for both our American whiskey and corn vodka,” Monagle said.
The space is also available for corporate events, parties and weddings.
Is there anything these guys can’t do? ••
Visit 1675spirits.com for more information.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at [email protected]
