Dana Point, undergoing its own culinary renaissance and residential boom, is set to gain a new small-batch distillery and brewery: Shelter Distillery will move into the space soon to be vacated by StillWater Spirits and Sounds, which is closing its doors after nearly 13 years on Nov. 2.
“Our goal is to honor the heritage of the building that’s there,” said co-founder Matt Hammer. Hammer, along with partners Karl Anderson and Jason Senior, first launched Shelter Distillery in Mammoth in 2017.
What can guests expect? A full lineup of the distillery’s own creations, including whiskey, bourbon and agave spirits, as well as vodka, liqueurs, rums, limoncello and even their own take on absinthe.
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The upcoming Dana Point venue, which will be Shelter Distilling’s fourth location, will lean into its established “industrial and rustic” aesthetic. Look for “a lot of wood” and signature whiskey barrel lights, much like its other venues. And keeping the aural vibe of its predecessor alive, the new venue will also feature live music.
The yet-to-be-announced food menu, following the lead of the other locations, will focus on locally sourced ingredients.
A key difference for this South County spot is that it won’t feature onsite distilling like the other Shelter Distilling locations. The new venue is tentatively slated to open in the spring of 2026.
Meanwhile, Damian Collins, the co-owner of StillWater Spirits and Sounds, which he owns and operates with his father, John, and business partner Joey Estrada, isn’t going too far for his next venture. He is set to open a new concept in nearby Capo Beach, right next door to his popular saloon, Sunsets Bar.
The new restaurant will be christened Ohana Room, a nod to Honolulu, where Collins lives part time. He explained it will be a “high-quality Hawaiian restaurant.”
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“It will be like the family side of Sunsets,” he said. The move toward a more family-forward model makes perfect sense for Collins, who, with his wife, is preparing to welcome their first child. As he put it, “Having a kid changes things up a bit.”
Ohana Room will take over the space currently occupied by Good Choice Sushi By the Sea, which will relocate in the same building later this year. Collins is aiming to have the new eatery up and running sometime before summer 2026.