Dry Fly Distilling

Redistilling vodka through botanicals is how they have chosen to make gin. "Since we want to be a Northwest company using Northwest ingredients, we get 99% of our ingredients from Washington and the rest from Oregon." They get juniper, Fuji apples, coriander, lavender, mint and hops from small farmers. "Dryness comes from the juniper and a soft finish from the apples," explains Kent. When ice is added, the juniper softens, allowing other flavors to pop up.

"The recipe was almost perfect the first time," says Kent. "We wanted to add more of one ingredient, so we redistilled it, adding that one thing. Then it was perfect. We're a little superstitious, so we still do it wrong each time, then redistill with that extra amount. We're not efficient in that way and we bottle and label by hand. That's the way we want it; we don't want to be a giant."

In the last Senate and House session, with help from lobbyist Arlen Harris, they were able to get legislation passed that defines what craft distilleries will be in this state. It was an uphill battle. With other huge issues being decided, this legislation could have easily been put off for a later session. But when senators and representatives understood that at least 50% of ingredients used by distilleries will need to be indigenous, it became an agricultural process and interest increased. The governor headed to Spokane to sign it into law. As of July 1, Dry Fly has been able to offer tastings and sell their product from the distillery. "Within the next two years, you'll see three more distilleries in the state," says Kent. "We've paved the way."

Growth is good and bad. We both left corporate America to eliminate the headaches in our lives," says Kent. "We wanted to fish more. That just isn't happening. We take turns making and selling the product. This first year, we made 3,500 cases. We have equipment on order to arrive mid-August that will allow us to double production. We're on the verge of hiring our first employee. We number every batch and sign every bottle as a way of keeping this personal." They currently sell in five states and ship to a company in Chicago which has 21 liquor outlets and can ship to 25 additional states. Kent and Don are working on selling to California and Colorado as well as more states back east. As marketers, they just had to create gear (hats, t-shirts, golf shirts) for sale, as well as having custom-made fly rods at the distillery. "I just can't stop," laughs Kent. "But we want to keep our fly fishing roots clear."

At the June 2008 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition, Dry Fly won the gold medal for packaging design (Overall Package). The design was done by HL2 in Seattle. In the Spirits Best of Category, they won a bronze for both gin and vodka. It's a Cinderella story.