South Philly has a new distillery, and it’s serving drinks in Solo cups

When it comes to food and drink, South Philly has just about everything. There’s world-class fine dining; dive bars you can still smoke in; amazing Italian, Mexican, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Mediterranean, and more; breweries and bottle shops; ice cream, bakeries, and coffee shops galore.

But there was something missing until recently: a working distillery. (Note: East Passyunk’s Manatawny Still Works distills its wares in Pottstown.)

That changed last month with the debut of Otto Distilling Co. near 17th and McKean, to the rear of Rowhouse Grocery. Wayne native Tim Haas opened the vodka and rum distillery in mid-August, after more than two years of planning and permitting. It sits just off a private cobblestone courtyard down what would otherwise be Colorado Street.

Don’t head to Otto expecting a craft-cocktail experience along the lines of New Liberty or Philadelphia Distilling. In fact, don’t expect cocktails at all — space regulations make them off-limits for now. That means this is a minimalistic tasting room, serving free samples and mixed drinks for a palatable $6 a pop. Think Dr Pepper and plum-infused rum, cream soda and hot pepper-cinnamon-spiced rum, rum and coke, and vodka sodas (made with vodka distilled in-house for the non-rum drinkers).

Chilled soda cans, juices, and beer from Triple Bottom Brewing are kept in a Yeti cooler beneath the “bar.” When you buy a drink, you’re given a generous 1.5-ounce pour of rum and your mixer; grab a red Solo cup from across the room and fill it with crushed ice from the machine on the floor. Enjoy your drink at the bistro tables outside or over a game of cornhole. Food and snacks are BYO. Local options are plentiful.

In a food and beverage scene that’s increasingly marked by Instagrammability, it’s rare (and a little refreshing) to see such a no-frills setup. Haas hopes to build a full-fledged bar on the building’s second floor one day, but for now he and his fiancee are Otto’s sole staffers.

Haas left a career in finance to pursue distilling, which he taught himself after making his own beer and mead. He latched onto rum after a trip to Cuba, where he observed bar patrons savoring the molasses-based spirit neat. “‘Wow, this is just as good as any bourbon,’” he recalls thinking to himself.

At the moment, Otto’s rums are all basically hot off the press — made in a custom copper still imported from Germany — so Haas recommends mixers. But he plans to do some barrel-aging in the future, as he continues to build his flavor lineup. His next product will be a coffee-infused rum.

Otto’s logo features a rabbit, a nod to the meaning of the word Haas in German. The name of the distillery is also a family homage: Haas’ grandfathers and great-grandfathers on both sides were named Otto. (Haas is a descendant of Otto Haas, cofounder of once-Philly-based international chemical giant Rohm & Haas, which was acquired by Dow Chemical Co. in 2009 for $15 billion.) “Otto” also suits the neighborhood: The side streets near 16th and McKean are filled with auto-body shops. It’s a connection others have made.

“My buddy the other night was like, ‘Dude, you gotta make a T-shirt — like Otto body.’”

Otto Distilling is open Thursday 5 to 7 p.m., Friday 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday 2 to 8 p.m. Tours offered on Saturdays at 2, 4, and 6 p.m. 1713R McKean St., ottodistilling.com.