Best Restaurants 2009: The Drinking Age

Buoyed by new Washington craft-distillery laws, a crop of locally made liquors is lifting spirits everywhere

Until recently, Seattleites looking to go locavore with their evening gin and tonic might as well have gone on the wagon. But after lagging behind Oregon and California for years, Washington is getting into the microdistilling game with a number of new distilleries preparing to release a torrent of Northwest gin, absinthe, whiskey and vodka into local glasses.

Spokane’s Dry Fly Distilling opened the floodgates in 2007 when it became the first distillery to open in the state since Prohibition. This year, Dry Fly expects to make a combined total of approximately 5,500 cases of its eponymous gin and vodka, which will be distributed in up to 19 states (Internet retailers extend its availability to most of the country); last month, Dry Fly expanded its scope by introducing approximately 500 bottles of a limited-edition wheat whiskey. Pacific Distillery in Woodinville was licensed in August, and began distributing Voyager Dry Gin in November and Absinthe Pacifique earlier this year. In late 2008, former Cave B winemaker Berle “Rusty” Figgins Jr. licensed the Ellensburg Distillery in Ellensburg, and a license for Dynamic Alambic Artisan Distillers in Mattawa was pending at press time; it will produce brandies, liqueurs and other spirits. On deck and looking for Seattle-area digs are hopefuls such as Stone Distillery, which will make spirits including vodka, gin and whiskey when it opens later this year, and Odyssey Spirits, which plans to produce whiskies, brandies, single malts and absinthe.

Recognizing that a rising tide of liquor will lift all boozy boats, the relationship among Washington distillers has been mostly collegial. “Everyone is going to benefit from the public getting used to the idea that they don’t need to buy another vodka from France; they can actually have something that’s just as good, if not better, by drinking locally,” says Steven Stone, founder of Stone Distillery.