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 has leveled up with more space, spirits and services.
Triple Sun Spirits Co., crafting ultra-premium, small-batch spirits, on Saturday held a grand opening of its newly renovated venue, now known as “The Railyard,” at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
The Emmaus venue temporarily closed to the public for upgrades in early March before holding a “sneak peek” event in July and additional soft opening events over the past few weekends, manager Dave McAdoo told 69 News.
Saturday’s grand opening kicked off The Railyard’s regular hours of 4-10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays, McAdoo said.
The Railyard operates at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
Ryan Kneller
“So far, we’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback,” McAdoo said.
“People are really loving our unique spaces, each offering unique features and vibes. We have our full-service dining room, our game and sports room, our speakeasy lounge and our outdoor beer garden. So, you really can choose your fun.”
The Railyard operates at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
Ryan Kneller
The new game and sports room occupies an updated space that was previously used for private events.
The room now features two dartboards, two pool tables and various arcade games, including Ms. Pac Man, Fast & Furious SuperCars racing game and pinball machines such as Foo Fighters, Pokemon and 007: You Only Live Twice.
There’s also a new digital jukebox and variety of pennants and other decor showcasing Philadelphia sports teams.
The new dining room occupies 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 room now features an open kitchen serving a seasonally rotating menu of artisanal sandwiches, salads, sides, and more, partner Robert Johnson said.
The Railyard operates at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
Ryan Kneller
Chicken, pork and other proteins are smoked on-site.
Current selections include handhelds (available on brioche bun or 10-inch Italian roll) such as a Keystone BLT (house-smoked beef belly bacon, balanced with a refreshing lemon-poppy dressed arugula, ripe beefsteak tomatoes and garlic aioli), Pacific Pitmaster (sweet and spicy Asian smoked pork and premium jalapeno bacon jam, balanced with a rich Thai peanut sauce, Asian slaw, jalapenos and pickled red onions) and Reading Line (house-smoked chicken and savory bacon, brown sugar bourbon glaze with rich, creamy BBQ slaw, red onions and house pickles).
Other menu highlights include house-smoked brisket chili and salads such as Santa Fe wedge and South-West Cobb.
Dining room seating is available at bars and high- and low-top tables.
The Railyard operates at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
Ryan Kneller
“We’re looking to feature the freshest, local ingredients as possible,” Johnson said.
“So, there will be seasonal menus, and we’ll constantly be in touch with local farmers, asking them, ‘What’s fresh this week?’”
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 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.
In addition to the dining room and game room, The Railyard features a cozy, speakeasy lounge where Triple Sun’s original tasting room/retail shop was located.
The Railyard operates at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
Ryan Kneller
The team implemented more of an “elevated lounge feel,” with leather couches and chairs, suede bar stools and reclaimed wood and corrugated metal accents.
The lounge also features a bookshelf-lined entrance and dimly-lit atmosphere with candles and pendant lighting.
The three rooms each have their own bar and unique identity, but they also flow together seamlessly, allowing individuals to walk from one space to another and explore the different vibes, Johnson said.
“We also have our outdoor beer garden, with additional seating, which we plan to enhance in the spring,” McAdoo added.
“So, we actually have four different areas, and people can choose where they want to hang out depending on what they’re looking for or what kind of mood they’re in on any given day. You could have a great meal, grab a drink while watching your favorite sports team or just relax with friends while enjoying some great cocktails. The lounge is really that perfect spot to enjoy a sophisticated cocktail and atmosphere.”
The Railyard operates at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
Ryan Kneller
Guests can choose from a wide array of classic and signature cocktails, such as a smoked cherry old fashioned, smoked maple Manhattan, “Railside Alchemist” (house gin infused with crisp cucumber, fresh mint and splash of lime juice, finished with a whisper of jalapeno), “French Quarter Martini” (Triple Sun’s seven times distilled French wheated vodka, shaken with a splash of house-made brine fresh dill dressed with house-made pickles and martini onions) and “Cane Brake Press” (premium light island rum, artisanal ginger liqueur, fresh muddled cucumber and ginger, finished dry with a splash of club soda and a dual garnish of fresh cucumber and sweet candied ginger root).
The Railyard’s local craft beer partner is Lost Tavern Brewing, with nearly a dozen Lost Tavern beers – including popular picks like Tapper (Japanese rice lager), Onomatopoeia (fruited sour ale) and Catching Fire (New England IPA) – on tap.
A curated selection of other Pennsylvania craft beverages, including beer, wine, spirits and cider, is also available.
The Railyard operates at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
Ryan Kneller
“We really wanted to make sure that we have something for everyone’s tastes,” McAdoo said.
“So, we have spirits from other Pennsylvania distilleries like Bluebird and Eight Oaks, and we’re also carrying beers from a wide variety of PA breweries, including our craft beer partner, Lost Tavern, as well as other popular breweries like McCall, Victory and Yuengling.”
Triple Sun’s upgrades aligned 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.
The Railyard operates at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
Ryan Kneller
“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 also received 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.
The Railyard operates at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
Ryan Kneller
In conjunction with The Railyard’s opening, Triple Sun Spirits also launched another product line to complement its existing offerings.
The new line, known as Reilly’s Rebellion, includes 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.”
Across all of its rooms, The Railyard offers bar, table and lounge seating for nearly 200 people, Johnson said.
Multiple TVs are situated throughout the venue, and complimentary popcorn is available next to a Zoltar fortune-telling machine.
The Railyard operates at 518 Bank St. in Emmaus.
Ryan Kneller
For the latest Railyard updates, follow the business’ Facebook page.