A Ruined Whiskey Batch Launched Rockland's Luce Spirits

Luce Spirits, a small-batch distillery and bar on Main Street in Rockland, has grown from a production facility and tasting room into what owner Nate Luce calls a combination of a neighborhood bar, a dive bar and a maker of small-batch, locally sourced botanical spirits, the Bangor Daily News reported. Luce, who worked at Brooklyn's Kings County Distillery in the early 2010s, said he first made absinthe there from a batch of rye whiskey that had gone wrong, steeping it with wormwood, anise and other botanicals. He opened Luce Spirits in 2021 after noticing a for-rent sign on a former florist shop on Main Street and getting advice on grants and business support from a nearby antiques shop owner. The business now produces absinthe, gin, aquavit and other botanically flavored spirits alongside beer, and has become a gathering place for Rockland's art and queer communities as well as tourists and sailors passing through. Local artists have contributed murals and paintings to the space, and a recent redesign by the design duo Twin Interior added seating while preserving its worn-in feel. Luce Spirits has also hosted artist talks, karaoke and trivia nights, and recently held a fundraiser for people affected by a fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont.

This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.