For the owners of Shelter Distilling, making alcohol is fun– and drinking it, or just eating out with the family, should be too.After months of construction, the Caifornia-based distillery is finally Montrose-based, with the doors of its new 14,000 square foot flagship facility at 947 Mayfly Drive open as of this past Saturday. And despite hailing from the Golden State, founders Matt Hammer, Jason Senior and Karl Anderson are taking "Colorado-based" pretty seriously now, with whiskey made with Colorado bluecorn and provisions made with locally-sourced meats and veggies. "The majority of stuff is being made from scratch," Hammer said. "All the broths, everything is real food. And we're doing our best to use the most local ingredients." Hammer's going for a gastropub vibe, with a high-quality menu characterized by a southwest flair. Dishes like elk carpaccio and peppered steak sandwiches will make appearances on the menu, which guests at Shelter's 200 seats can scan from QR codes at their tables. The spacious restaurant has plenty of seating to choose from, from traditional tables and barstools to cozy couches and outdoor firepits. All are outfitted with QR codes, and guests can order from wherever they sit and have the food brought out to them. Of course, the functioning distillery, which boasts around 10,000 feet of production space, wouldn't be complete without a well-stocked bar. Just like in the kitchen, the bar ingredients from syrups to vermouths and more, are made fresh and frequently in house. "We're juicing every day," Hammer said. To start, the bar will have six beers on tap, and Hammer says this will bump up to an even dozen once production increases. The crew is still in the process of getting production up and running at the new facility, and for now the bar is stocked with California-made libations. But not for long. Shelter plans to make Montrose its new hub, with most of their products from bottled whiskeys to canned beverages manufactured here and sold around the country. For Hammer, Senior and Anderson, who formed the company out of their own home distilling hobby, the riverfront restaurant is a major achievement. The group started out by just brewing what they like, and Hammer said they still want to keep it fun and experiment with new flavors. "It was just based out of passion," he said. "We want to make cool things." He said the bluecorn, which is sourced from Colorado, is one thing that make's shelter's bourbon unique and gives it a spicier flair. "It's a small segment of the bourbon world," he said. "Most people are using yellow corn." In addition to whiskey, Shelter makes gins, agaves and assorted other spirits, in addition to beer and canned cocktails. These can range from classics like canned gin and tonics and whiskey and colas to more original products like the Rose Hip Thrust mule and Endless Summer gin beverage. "We're never going to be like an old school whiskey company," Hammer said. "We're just doing fun stuff that we love and we're doing it with quality ingredients and passion."