Beautiful Places At Home: The StillHouse, Colts Neck NJ

A brand new building graces the rolling hills on the property adjacent to the famous Delicious Orchards, but oddly enough, it seems as if it has (or should have) been there all along.  The Colts Neck StillHouse in Colts Neck NJ, featuring a home distilled brand of spirits labelled Muckleyeye, is a MUST GO destination for people entertaining a wide range of tastes.

C/O The Colts Neck StillHouse Website

The StillHouse creates a beautiful seasonal menu of mixed drinks made from their very own Muckleyeye branded White Rum, Bourbon, Rye Whiskey, Gin and Vodka. They also brew their very own ginger beer served out of an old soda fountain tap. They source all of their ingredients from Delicious Orchards in order to make their own fresh mixers and bitters. If you’re a fan of mixed drinks, think of the last time you had a “fresh mixer” added to your decorative glass… yes, keep thinking. The result of this labor-intensive, created-from-scratch libation station is nothing short of miraculous.

The crafters at work, readying the hand-cut blocks of crystal clear ice and signature cocktail ingredients.

“Today’s cocktail special is Tribute to David Bowie, ‘The Anise Star’dust ’ : Anise, Activated Charcoal, MuckleyEYE East Coast White Rum, Mint, Lime. “
C/O Colts Neck StillHouse Instagram.

The famous “Bloody Janice,” a true favorite.
C/O Colts Neck Stillhouse Instagram Feed

This new building greets you at the street with a fountain and an unassuming sign, and as of this writing will be hosting their official grand opening on January 16th, Wednesday at 4pm. But ahead of this date they’ve been mobbed with tasters, many of whom wait outside at the stroke of “OPEN” time. When you enter The StillHouse you are greeted by a whiskey barrel bar, low lighting and smiling faces. The staff here are ultimate professionals and it goes without saying, so is the management. The thought that goes into their seasonal cocktail menu offers guests the opportunity to EXPERIENCE something different - a re-definition, or maybe the ultra-definition, of “home-made.”

You can also take a tour of their facility to learn exactly how all of these spirits were made, and how long you will have to wait to buy their immensely complex but smooth Bourbon which is currently being aged. Folks here say they have just enough to make drinks for bar patrons and a small batch for bottling, but it’s ‘first come first served’ as this is quite the aging process. But you can walk through the bourbon barrels aging the golden liquid within, and smell the smoke pulling through the wood.

The StillHouse is a GREAT place to host an event. Their first major event was a corporate Christmas Party (shown in picture) which held 40 quite comfortably in their barrel room, and was catered by Delicious Orchards who are embarking on a new catering initiative
(P.S. - The food was FABULOUS, of course, and the service was spectacular). You could say the appearance of the StillHouse has inspired many of the surrounding businesses to expand their offerings to serve the needs of the local community in new and creative ways.

Other than catering for events, there is no food served at The StillHouse but they do allow you to bring your own, and also offer scheduled food-based events from some well-known food trucks like Thai Food Addict or Cousins Maine Lobster and their famous lobster rolls to start. Make sure to follow their Facebook and Instagram pages for scheduled events and cool drink recipes.

Hand-cut ice blocks for bar drinks done every morning at The StillHouse.
C/O Colts Neck Stillhouse Facebook Page

This is a great evening trip for mid-week or weekends with friends and/or the significant other. Pop by Delicious Orchards and pick up a pie and donuts for your weekend, and don’t worry - they’ll be fine in the trunk - it’s January! Then go next door to the Stillhouse (you’ll have to move your car to The StillHouse’s parking lot but its two driveways away) and experience a taste flight of their spirits.  Head out down the street to Huddy’s Inn for a baked brie app and steak dinner to end the evening.

For me personally, I’ve never been a straight alcohol drinker - I generally revel in a glass of a dark Malbec or CabSav - but here, I found myself in love with their White Rum and that love made me buy a bottle almost immediately. If you tell the bartender/tendress about flavors you prefer, they’ll create something for you that you’ll be so surprised you actually LOVE. They really, really know what they’re doing.

For that, I raise my glass to these fine gents and ladies for taking it day by day, from their very own blood, sweat and tears… building up from the historic dirt a brand new cultivated taste tour like no other available at this level in New Jersey.

The Colts Neck StillHouse:
304 State Route 34, Colts Neck, New Jersey
(732) 526-1130  / https://coltsneckstillhouse.com/

WLL