Broken Spirits Distillery has decided to go halal with its beef and chicken offerings thanks to some suggestions from patrons. And owner Isaias Hernandez has heard the community, knowing that concerns about consistency, quality, and accessibility matter after “nine months and 29 days of feedback from Long Beach.
“We’ve been truly blessed with our company’s success,” Isaias said. “And as of late, we’ve been able to truly focus on Broken Spirits and Villains [our brewery in Anaheim] as we have the chance to let some of our other assets go under new leadership and ownership. With that, all of the people who have been here since day one agree we need to return to our roots.”
Part of that return to roots is their long love and focus on meats and cocktails. They now proudly boast their proteins as halal with proper certificates posted. And they now have Stephen Ramos honing their cocktail program—they’ll be releasing their newly minted gins, which includes hibiscus and citrus versions, but that’s for another piece—in a way that has made the space far more consistent and much more crafty.
The way Ammatoli’s success is helping others succeed is directly connected to Broken Spirits choice to go halal.
Ultimately, Isaias and the team admitted that the success of Ammatoli is key to the neighborhood’s success. Whether it’s Ammatoli’s consistently packed brunch, its expansion of baked goods, its physical expansion, or the fact that it is just consistently recognized as one of the best restaurants in the region… Chef Dima Habibeh brings in the consistent crowds. That also means consistent waits.
“The overflow from Ammatoli has been a huge benefit to us,” Isaias said. “And when we had some of their customers express the fact that, were we to offer halal meats, they would go here as an alternative, we knew we had to say yes.”
And it isn’t just Ammatoli. Sonoratown—initially opening only for lunch—has created a new lunch crowd that has prompted more exploration from diners. Midnight Oil has reinvigorated the happy hour crowd. And staples like The Ordinarie and ISM Brewing are havens for events and live music. Having a collectively active ecosystem revolving around food and drinks is beneficial for everyone. And Broken Spirits sees just that.
Brand new carne asada tacos drizzled in a not-too-fiery salsa macha and crema with cilantro. But there is probably no better representation of their halal-ness than their meat platters. Pictured above is the “Up in Smoke” platter, where an array of brisket, carne asada, ribeye, beef ribs, and chicken can easily feed five people, if not six. Paried with cornbread, tortillas, chimmichurri, and salsa, it’s halal-gone-barbecue. And it’s the perfect alternative for halal-practicing diners should Ammatoli prove too crowded or without a reservation.
The future of the distillery will be continued listening to what the community wants.
“It’s really a blessing to be able to have more time to focus on Long Beach,” Isaias said. “We understand that some things have been inconsistent; that is something we have to own. But we’re genuinely here to help the Downtown become what we knew it could always be. And we’re doing that by returning our roots, honing our quality, evolving with what the community wants.”
The beauty of transparency about difficulties and how he has fought through these struggles is outright admirable. And it is clear that the Broken Spirits team is focusing deeply on how to better connect the distillery to the community, how to make it more accessible, and how to assure Long Beach that they’re in it for the long run.
They’ve had themed dinners to bring in a different sense of holiday cheer. They had a $25 four-course dinner in honor of Long Beach Food Scene Week last year. They’ve partnered with myself and Playa Larga to create the Taco Death Match food festival. They have late-night happy hours and buy-one-get-one-free cocktail specials. They’ve had tiki mug releases and giveaways.
They’re in it for the long run—and they deserve our support.
Broken Spirits Distillery is located at 300 The Promenade N.
