Sideshow Spirits Distillery, Showroom and Cocktail Bar

I hate to leave a bad review for a local small business, but this place needs improvement in terms of their whiskey tasting tour.

Friday, we went to a whiskey tasting which was lead by a guy with a big beard and gauge earrings (nothing wrong with that, I just don't recall his name). It was a group of probably 35 people.

"Now I've been accused of being long-winded," said the tour guide. Boy, was that an under-statement.

We also learned a lot of information about the business that frankly, was none of our business.

Did you know the company bought the building for 40 cents on the dollar? Or that they used to sell hot dogs as a way of getting around COVID -19 lockdown restrictions? Or that three other alcohol businesses had failed at that location? Or that they initially catered to college students to survive during COVID, when they made 90% of their revenue between 10:00pm and 2:00am?

I don't know why we're being reminded about COVID on a whiskey tasting tour. Don't forget people died during COVID. They're not coming out to re-litigate pandemic response; they're here to try whiskey.

I'll tell you one other thing--that information doesn't sell whiskey. During the 1.5 hours we we're on the "whiskey tasting tour," we sure weren't buying drinks at the bar. The "history of whiskey" tunnel was all information about whiskey we could've read on Wikipedia.

I understand the front bar and the back bar have different menus. It would be nice if the front bar at least had ice and could serve more than whiskey neat.

Otherwise, the staff was nice and the place was well put together. But 1.5 hours of "whiskey tasting" was far too much time to cover so little content, and to provide so little whiskey.

I would consider going back, but not for the tasting tour.

We had a guided tasting tour. Kip was amazingly educational and so willing to discuss anything we threw at him.
Great offerings out of this up and coming distillery, and great cocktails at the bar!
Will definitely return.

Loved the experience of this classy distillery. I learned more about distilling whiskey that ever before and the bar was relaxing. The peach whiskey was pretty dad gum good.

Nice atmosphere , good drinks. Nice decor quiet.

We had our wedding reception at Sideshow and Kip, Tom and the rest of the staff we're great in coordinating everything and helping us set-up. Drinks were great, their recommended DJ, Nate, was awesome and all of our guests absolutely loved the place. We got compliments on the venue all night. Highly recommend this place for your next event.

Executive service.

Caden is a phenomenal bartender. Amazing drinks great vibe. The bar is very relaxed and much different that any other bar downtown. By far my favorite place to get drinks!!!

Second time coming in here in the last 6 months. The atmosphere is so much calmer than the rest of Lincoln’s bars. The “Tastes Like Snozzberries” is by far the best cocktail I’ve had. Sour, without being too sweet. We’ve tried to give other bars a shot, but nowhere beats this calm, quiet atmosphere. Caden was our bartender both times we’ve been here and is extremely nice and very knowledgeable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everything about this place is stellar! Bartender- A+++ Caden is so awesome- mixes fantastic drinks and is knowledgeable about the drinks he's serving. The vibe is relaxed and the drinks are great! My recommendation- classic old fashioned with smoke and magic. Also, our favorite spirit we tasted out of ten was a double barrel rye. ❤️. Highly recommend this stop! Will definitely be back!

We used the Sideshow Event Space to host a couple's shower and it was fantastic! The staff were all friendly and accommodating to our event. Tom, our bartender for the evening, was outstanding and our guests loved having him! Faith was also great to work with when booking the space and getting all the details coordinated. I would highly recommend using this space for any small to mid-size event you are thinking about hosting. We will definitely be using the space again!

Awesome Distillery! Start with a T, then some P's & then purchase some W's & a B!!!! What I'm saying is, take a great technical Tour, enjoy a variety of sample Pours, and then purchase some Whiskey as well as a private Barrel!! Sixteen of us went in on a 30 gallon Barrel. Can't wait for the bottling!

It’s been a while since my wife and I made it back to Sideshow Spirits, but we will definitely be back again soon! We had a really fun evening last night. Tom took exceptional care of us, including an incredible 4 cocktail for $50 deal that they do where they literally make the drinks in front of you at your table over the evening and show you how to make them. The evening was personable, fun, and informative. Then there’s that Millions of Peaches Old Fashioned… it’s fantastic! I highly recommend this experience when looking for a fun evening with those you care about!

Kip, is the master distiller! His knowledge of whiskeys and spirit's is unparalleled in the industry, especially in the Midwest. Stop in and ask for a pour. You will be amazed at the quality of such a young distillery. Also, if you like, you can get a history lesson. Highly recommended

This is my favorite bar in town. Great drinks, fair prices, lively atmosphere, and it’s unique. They’re the only ones in town making their own spirits.

These are the BEST premade cocktails I have ever had! Outstanding! We had so fun in Lincoln and this distillery is a big part of that fun. Y’all need to sell these in cocktails in Texas.