Trio of businesses form first entertainment district in Windsor

WINDSOR — The owner of three related food and retail businesses in the city secured state licensing for an entertainment district centered around their operations.

Patrick and Amanda Weakland founded and own The Windsor Gardener, High Hops Brewery and The Heart Distillery. The first, a gardening and nursery shop, also lets them grow ingredients for beers and spirits sold by the other two. All three are in one place.

The brewery and distillery were the first of those types of businesses in Windsor, opening in 2012 and 2018. The entertainment district has been dubbed ‘The W’.

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“We’re under one roof, so it makes sense to commingle,” said Zach Weakland, Patrick’s and Amanda’s son, who heads brewing and distilling. “For the past three years, we’ve had to have complete separation between beer and spirits.”

State regulations limit alcohol consumption to the restaurant or bar where it was bought; an entertainment district allows multiple locations selling alcohol to share space where patrons can more freely move about with their drinks.

Entertainment districts must be sought by private owners, have between 20,000 square feet and 100 acres of space among the liquor-licensed entities, and receive local and state approval.

Zach Weakland said The W has just over the minimum and “a few acres of common consumption space.” Food trucks come on weekends to expand offerings.

Windsor’s director of economic development, Stacy Miller, said The W gives the flexibility to move around and mingle and could work for group events.

She’s also president of the Northern Colorado chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women network, which has booked its “Hops and Headshots” event at The W this month.

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