Lost Spirits was a working distillery and immersive circus show located in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Bryan Davis and Joanne Haruta.[1][2]

Lost Spirits
LocationLas Vegas, Nevada, USA
Founded2010
Key peopleBryan Davis
Joanne Haruta
Cases/yr15,000 - 25,000
Websitewww.lostspirits.net

The distillery was initially located in Salinas, California, where it opened in 2010.[3]

Lost Spirits closed at the end of April 2024.[4][5] At the time of the closing Lost Spirits had hosted over 250,000 guests in it's Las Vegas location[6] and was generating an estimated $12.9 Million in Annual Revenue[7].

Technology

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In 2015, the distillery attracted attention after Davis developed technology to create mature whisky and rum within days.[8][1]

Davis's process was shown, using modern analytical chemistry, to replicate the chemical reactions that take place as spirits age in barrels.[9][1] The process aims to replicate the aging process in a laboratory while producing the same chemical signature and taste.[8]

Whisky made using Davis' process performed favorably in blind tastings hosted by Whisky Advocate,[10] and won a Liquid Gold award in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible (widely considered the world's most influential whisky critic).[11][12]

In 2016, the distillery was moved to downtown Los Angeles, California.[13]

Circus

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In 2021, Davis and Haruta moved the distillery to Las Vegas.[1] The new location included a tour described as "equated to an adult Disneyland."[14][15] The Las Vegas version featured a large cast of live actors, acrobats, contortionists and singers.[16] The experience of visiting Lost Spirits has been described as "cult hit among spirits geeks".[17]

In 2023 Lost Spirits was listed on the annual Thrillist list of the best live shows & musicals in Las Vegas.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Null, Christopher. "This Guy Says He Can Make 20-Year-Old Rum in 6 Days". Wired. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  2. ^ Davis, Leah (2023-06-28). "Stoking Vegas' Immersive Flame: Lost Spirits Distillery (Review)". Medium. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
  3. ^ "Lost Spirits Distillery".
  4. ^ "Lost Spirits Distillery at AREA15 is closing at the end of the month". Channel 13 Las Vegas News KTNV. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Innovative Lost Spirits Distillery, performers take final bows — PHOTOS". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  6. ^ "Innovative Lost Spirits Distillery, performers take final bows — PHOTOS". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  7. ^ "Lost Spirits Distillery: Revenue, Competitors, Alternatives". growjo.com. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  8. ^ a b Goldfarb, Aaron (2015-09-26). "Great Rum Without Rotting Goat Heads". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  9. ^ Cummings, Joanna. "Shaken and Stirred". The Analytical Scientist. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  10. ^ "9 Whiskies That Weren't Aged in a Traditional Barrel". Whisky Advocate. 2018-11-12. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
  11. ^ "Jim Murray: The Life Of A Whiskey Legend". 2019-07-16. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
  12. ^ Cooper, Harris (2021-06-29). American History Through a Whiskey Glass: How Distilled Spirits, Domestic Cuisine, and Popular Music Helped Shape a Nation. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-5107-6402-6.
  13. ^ Tuttle, Brittani (2020-05-14). "Lost Spirits Distillery to open new interactive experience in Las Vegas". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  14. ^ "Down the rum rabbit hole: The booze fantasia at Lost Spirits Distillery". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
  15. ^ Bustamante, Lou (2018-12-06). "Disneyland Has Got Nothing on This". Alta Online. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  16. ^ Miller, Virginia (2023-07-21). "Lost Spirits Soars to New Heights in Las Vegas". Distiller Magazine. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
  17. ^ Perrottet, Tony. "The Madcap Chemists of Booze". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  18. ^ Rupersburg, Nicole (2015-05-27). "The Best Shows and Musicals in Las Vegas Right Now". Thrillist. Retrieved 2023-09-16.

36°07′49″N 115°10′57″W / 36.13028°N 115.18257°W / 36.13028; -115.18257