Broken Spirits Distillery sits on The Promenade in Downtown Long Beach, a grain-to-glass operation born from a decade-long dream by co-founders Isaias Hernandez, Josh Bentrem, and Juan Hernandez - the team behind Smoke & Fire restaurants. When it opened in May 2024, it brought something genuinely rare to the Long Beach scene: a working distillery where everything from raw grain to finished bottle happens on site, under the watch of master distiller Max Stecca. You can order a house-distilled bourbon, rye, gin, aquavit, or rum while surrounded by exposed brick, vintage lamps, and plush leather seating that gives the place the feel of a speakeasy that actually survived Prohibition. The food is serious too - the BBQ menu draws from Texas traditions, with smoked brisket, burnt ends, and ribs that pair well with the barrel-aged spirits. The distillery identifies as Latino-owned and is openly LGBTQ+ friendly, and the crowd on weekend nights reflects that welcoming vibe. Weeknights are calmer and a better time to chat with the bar staff about what's currently aging in the barrels. The Promenade location means you can walk to other bars before or after, but Broken Spirits has enough going on - between the food, the cocktails, and the working distillery floor - that most people end up staying.