Wildfether Distilling — Attraction in Haddonfield

I am glad that Wildfether Distilling opened in downtown Haddonfield joining William Heritage and King's Road as spots to enjoy a drink. My thoughts after visiting a half dozen times since opening: The building has great ambiance with many seating options. I also appreciate that it is an adults only venue- I love kids but its nice to have a place just for us! A great place to bring visitors. I like their social media! They keep it interesting with updates about changes being made as well as peeks behind the scenes. Their menu and ingredient guide are informative - you know exactly what you're ordering. I really liked the seasonal cocktails offered at opening and through the summer as some veered more adventurous with an assortment of flavors. The current menu seems to have grown fruitier and sweeter. I understand that 1) the distillery is limited to using ingredients crafted in-house, so choices need to be made to save resources and 2) ultimately the menu is responsive to the tastes of customers - maybe folks weren't ordering some of the drinks that I liked. The drinks I've had recently were far too sweet and fruity for my tastes and one-note which was confusing given that the menu lists ingredients that on paper sound like they might be more complex. Is it the mixing? The recipes? My selections? I'm not sure. I'm glad to see some of the options from the earlier menu remaining on the current menu (ROI, the take on an espresso martini) The service is truly hit or miss. On a visit in early fall our first round of drinks were delivered separately and about 25 minutes apart. Our waitress assured us that the bar was caught up and encouraged us to stay for another round. Unwisely, we believed this and waited about 20 minutes only to watch our gin martinis get delivered to the incorrect table - a wait to tell the waitress that we were still waiting - a wait for her to realize that the drinks were delivered incorrectly, and a wait for the new drinks. This was 40 minutes- I downed my gin martini (not the point of it) and we were nearly late for our dinner reservation. On a recent visit I ordered a sazerac, a classic cocktail offered on Wildfether's classics menu. Unfortunately, this was difficult to execute using the ingredients on offer- the absinthe spray doesn't give the level of flavor that the absinthe/herbsaint rinse imparts. No biggie, I won't order it again, but I feel with a few tweaks, that would be a smart offering. Also, I'm not sure if the bartender knew how to mix a sazerac correctly - that ought to be core knowledge at a craft cocktail bar. Again, I really like the place and am interested in watching it...

I came on a Sunday, looking forward to having a nice cocktail with some good ambience. When I came in, I asked if I could just sit at the bar in the first floor. I was informed that the first floor is closed on all days except Friday and Saturday. I have difficulty with stairs, so I couldn’t go to the second floor. The hostess did her best with this, saying, “Well, you can keep me company.” But other people came in and asked to sit at the bar next to me, but they weren’t allowed to. I had a question about substituting a different whiskey for my Manhattan, but the hostess said, “I can ask, but we generally don’t substitute ingredients to maintain the flavor profile.” I get that, but if I were on the second floor at the bar with the rest of the people, I could have had a conversation with the bartender about it.

Suggestions to make this place as accessible as possible (and get business of the many people with disabilities that are looking to have a nice time out with friends): Have a sign indicating that there is step-free access at the back of the venue. How else will someone know that there’s a way in that doesn’t require stairs? Better yet, add a ramp to the main entrance. I’ve seen other historic places have accessible entrances. On slow days, make the first floor the default seating area. Meaning, the bartender is on the first floor. If the first floor fills up, make people who can navigate stairs go upstairs and sit alone. But if it’s so slow, that shouldn’t be needed too often, right? If someone comes in and asks to sit on the first floor, don’t make it seem like it’s the weirdest request in the world. And if someone is sitting downstairs already, don’t make others sit upstairs if they ask to sit on the first floor as well.

Aside from being reminded I’m a second-class citizen, the rye did not taste well-aged. It had that un-aged, white whiskey kind of flavor. I also tried the gin, and it was similar. Maybe if I had been able to talk to the bartender about flavor profiles, they would have made a drink that...

We recently visited Wildfether Distillery with a large group and, unfortunately, our experience fell short of expectations. While the drinks were well-crafted, they were on the pricier side — which we wouldn’t have minded if the hospitality had matched the quality of the cocktails.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a hostess with colored hair (blue or green). Our group had already arrived, and we asked her to seat us with them. In doing so, we mistakenly went upstairs, only to realize our friends were seated downstairs. We immediately apologized for the confusion, but instead of understanding or a warm response, we were met with what felt like irritation. The hostess appeared annoyed, rolling her eyes and shrugging her shoulders, making us feel as though we were a burden.

This initial interaction left us feeling unwelcome. It’s a shame, because the venue itself has potential, but hospitality plays a major role in any customer experience. After one round of drinks, our entire party of 12-14 people decided to take our business elsewhere.

Hopefully, management can address this, as first impressions matter. A little kindness and professionalism go a long way in the...