State House Distilling by Drink Mechanics

Our mission is to create unique and memorable guest experiences that facilitate a long-lasting impression and connection between the consumer and our brand.State House Distilling is to become our flagship and crown jewel of Hartford as the city undergoes its massive revitalization effort. As experienced hospitality professionals with over 40 years of experience in food & beverage, we’d been paying close attention to the Ready To Drink (RTD) category since the Summer Seltzer craze of 2018. Having built careers around the creation of hundreds of original cocktails, we couldn’t help but feel there’s a great deal of room for improvement in the quality of products offered in the RTD space. However, with so many barriers to entry (red tape, competition, startup costs) this idea was never more than a background thought...Then, in 2020, we found ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic and governments around the world were adjusting on the fly, attempting to aid businesses of all sizes in surviving through some very trying times. Governor Ned Lamont of CT was one of many governors from around the country who passed an executive order that allowed for the delivery of alcoholic beverages via a standard bar/restaurant liquor license. We suddenly found ourselves in an unprecedented position where we could create and develop a line of canned craft cocktails that we could then deliver directly to customers. We purchased an ice cream truck and converted it into a mobile party unit delivery vehicle. This turned out to be a great way to launch, market test, and create instant brand awareness throughout CT. We saw immediate growth and it was clear that the public was responding positively to the superior quality of our products. Drink Mechanics had arrived! Another “game changing” law that came into effect at that time allowed for manufacturers of spirits to sell their products for on premise consumption while also being in possession of a restaurant permit. This was done in an attempt to provide for the spirits industry the same means of revenue that the craft beer industry had already been experiencing for years. It was through these new laws that we identified a unique opportunity to evolve our canned cocktail startup into a business model that had yet to be created anywhere...

Be Part of Our Journey!
This is your opportunity to be part of an incredible venture. Join us in reshaping the craft cocktail landscape and bring a piece of nightlife innovation to your community. Your support will help us turn this vision into a vibrant reality. Cheers to crafting the future together!Aaron Stepka

CEO
– 20 years in hospitality
– BA in Economics from Colby College
– 10 years Food & Beverage consulting
– Bar & Restaurant design
– Menu Creation
– Staff training & Systems implementation




Taylor Gillaspie

COO
– Grew up in the restaurant business
– Family owned Cottonwood Cafes in Boston area (90s-00s)
– Managed some of the most prominent cocktail bars in Los Angeles, CA





Dylan Specacek

CFO
– 11 years experience in hospitality
– CT-born and raised with strong ties to the community
– 4 years experience in finance


Ricardo “Richie” Lopez
Executive Chef
Peruvian-American, moved to Los Angeles from Lima at the age of 20 where he got his start working under acclaimed chef Ricardo Zarate. Richie went on to open modern Peruvian restaurant Picca, as Sous Chef and then Chef-De-Cuisine in opening the Nikkei-style restaurant, Paiche. 2019 saw the birth of his own restaurant, Yapa, a Los Angeles Times “favorite restaurant”. Richie is currently consulting for Culinary Lab, a Los Angeles-based restaurant and hospitality group.