EMMAUS, Pa. – Whether you’re looking to enjoy a fresh cocktail, family dinner, or fun night out with friends, a popular distillery in Lehigh County is leveling up with more space, spirits, and services.
Triple Sun Spirits Co., crafting ultra-premium, small-batch spirits, has been temporarily closed to the public for upgrades since early March at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
The renovated venue, now known as “The Rail Yard,” will hold a sneak peek event from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, ahead of its tentative soft reopening in mid-August, partner Robert Johnson told 69 News.
Triple Sun Spirits Co. is located at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
Ryan Kneller
“We will hold a sneak peek of the venue this Saturday to coincide with the America 250th Celebration in Emmaus,” Johnson said.
“So, anyone who wants to come in and check out the space before we reopen fully is welcome to do so. For the sneak peek, we’ll only have drinks – some slushies, a couple of signature cocktails, and Lost Tavern beer and Five Maidens cider on tap. Our official soft reopening will be sometime in mid-August after Musikfest, and then we want to do a huge blowout grand reopening celebration on Sept. 13, the same day as the Eagles’ opening day for the regular season,” Johnson said.
When the Emmaus venue reopens, it will feature a new game room with pool tables and other entertainment options such as shuffleboard, a digital jukebox, and sports viewing on TVs; and a new dining room with an open kitchen serving artisanal sandwiches, salads, sides, and more, Johnson said.
Triple Sun’s existing tasting room/retail shop will remain, with the team implementing more of an “elevated lounge feel,” Johnson said.
The three rooms will each have their own bar and unique identity, but they also will flow together seamlessly, allowing individuals to walk from one space to another and explore the different vibes, Johnson said.
Guests will be able to enjoy Triple Sun cocktails, along with Pennsylvania beers and wines.
A seasonal outdoor area will offer additional tables and games.
Collectively, the entire venue will be known as “The Railyard,” a nod to the neighboring railroad tracks, Johnson said.
“Most people are familiar with the traditional concept of a distillery and the traditional concept of a sit-down restaurant, but we’re kind of trying to blend the two,” Johnson said.
“So, it will be a hybrid concept, and we’re still ironing out the details, but our goal is to facilitate a comfortable environment for everybody. So, when people come to The Railyard, they can choose from a variety of hang-out spots based on what they’re feeling that day. We want to give people more of an experience and less of simply a place to eat and drink. We want the venue to be immersive, with live music, games, spirit tastings, and engaging conversations with staff,” he added.
Triple Sun’s upgrades are occurring in alignment with the distillery’s 10th anniversary.
Founder Kristofer Kwant opened Triple Sun Spirits in 2016, but his inspiration for the business began fifteen years earlier, when he and his father began homebrewing beer.
The hobby quickly turned into an obsession to engineer a better brewing process, and in turn, a superior beer.
After years of honing his skills, winning a few awards, and even becoming a certified beer judge, Kwant began eyeing a new challenge and turned his attention to the world of spirits.
“From the beginning, Kristofer’s goal was to create a community-based, artisanal distillery with an environmentally responsible business model that he and his family could truly be proud of,” reads a message on the distillery’s website.
“So for years, while simultaneously juggling a career in pharmaceuticals, he partnered with other distillers, performing exhaustive research and traveling extensively throughout the US and Caribbean in search of the secrets to more authentic spirits, such as batch distilling.”
When Kwant felt his skills matched up with his passion, he launched Triple Sun Spirits, with the business’s name being a nod to his three sons – Nicholas, Joseph, and Keegan.
The distillery’s production room, which connects to the lounge and is open to the public for tours, crafts artisanal spirits such as gin, rum, corn whiskey, and Pennsylvania straight bourbon.
The distillery itself is also getting a refresh, with the Triple Sun team repositioning some stills in order to increase production.
“We’ve also opened up our warehouse to fit more racks and barrels for aging,” Johnson said.
Triple Sun Spirits Co.
In conjunction with Triple Sun’s grand reopening, the distillery’s also preparing to launch another product line to complement its existing offerings.
The new line, known as Reilly’s Rebellion, will include vodka, gin, bourbon, and spiced rum, Johnson said.
“It’ll be more of a mid-tier product collection, and the original Triple Sun Spirits offerings will remain our ultra-premium products,” Johnson explained.
“So, the Reilly’s Rebellion line is only meant to broaden our portfolio and give people more options. It’s named in honor of my wife’s father and my grandfather, both being of Irish descent,” said Johnson.
Johnson, who became a Triple Sun partner in January, is also the chef and owner of the Licensed 2 Grill food truck, offering a fresh, seasonally rotating menu at public and private events since 2015.
He continues to operate Licensed 2 Grill as a separate business, bringing the truck to large corporate events, family celebrations, multi-day festivals, and other venues, and he’s looking to host a recurring gathering of food trucks outside of the Emmaus facility.
“We’d like to bring in a bunch of different local food trucks at least once a month, maybe even once a week if there’s demand,” Johnson said.
Across all of its rooms, The Railyard will offer seating for nearly two hundred people with additional accommodations available seasonally, Johnson said.
The new dining room will occupy an updated space that previously served as a taproom for various local breweries, including Yergey Brewing, Funk Brewing, and, most recently, Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
The new game room will occupy an updated area that was previously used primarily for private events, Johnson said.
Triple Sun Spirits Co.
Both rooms will feature new and extended bars, along with new wall paint, lighting, furniture, and other cosmetic updates, Johnson said.
The team is also looking to install some new arcade games in the game room, Johnson said.
The food menu is still being finalized, but individuals can expect “elevated sandwiches, salads, sides, and more,” Johnson said.
“We’re going to cure and smoke our own pastrami and other meats outside,” Johnson said.
“For now, there won’t be a grill or fryer, but that could change down the line depending on how the business grows,” he added.
The hours are also still being finalized, but The Railyard is tentatively set to operate Wednesday through Sunday, Johnson said.
For the latest Triple Sun Spirits updates, including an official grand reopening announcement, follow the business’s pages on Facebook and Instagram. Info: triplesunspirits.com.