Art Chowder January | February 2022 Issue 37 | Page 43

Once focused on beer and wine , the recognition of spirits here has only grown the reputation of the upper left corner of the U . S .
James Padilla , marketing and sales manager , echoes the small-batch philosophy of Dry Fly , “ You can ’ t have distilling without agriculture . We focus on small batches because of the lower volume of grains and fruits we can source locally .” He adds , “ The taste in the bottle is the best sales technique we have .” High scores and awards from Sip Magazine , The International Spirits Competition and Wine and Spirits magazine reinforce his point .
Along the way , Jim Bendis , retired CEO , remembers getting the land for the farm . “ We are really excited because it is definitely one of the few places in the country where a distillery would be growing its own crops .”
More recently , they have innovated into a CBD infusion line of products . Athletes and weekend hikers both resonate with the products and it also looks poised for success with products from “ no-high ” beverages to lotions and salves .
As if that were not enough to do , they also operate a successful custom labeling division that helps other distilling businesses launch their ideas . With established practices and aged stocks to draw from , the division operates like an incubator for getting new distillers ready for market .
It sounds like they have a distilled work ethic as well .
Bottom line : the word about the high-quality spirits of the Pacific Northwest has gotten out . Between these three distillers alone , they are distributed in 31 states and ready to impress even the most sophisticated drinker . The taste of the Northwest is maturing .
For a list of other distilleries in the Pacific Northwest and beyond :
www . distillerytrail . com / directory-distillery / locations / united-states /
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