Bainbridge Isl. home to state's first organic distillery
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. -- Scenic, rustic Bainbridge Island, known as a haven for artists and commuters craving escape, has a new toast of the town.
It's Bainbridge Organic Distillers, Kitsap County's first legal distillery in more than a century, and the first in the state to use all-organic spririts.
"We're the only distillery that's supposed to be on the island," said Keith Barnes. "(But) there's a pretty colorful past here of people that have toiled with distilling."
There's no bootlegger batches here. This father-son team is forging new ground with our state's first organic distillery, using locally grown grains and yeast.
"I think people are a lot more aware of what they're putting in their bodies," Keith Barnes said.
Gin, whiskey, and vodka, 80 proof -- and they hope recession proof. Buying 100 percent organic ingredients isn't easy.
Out of hundreds of yeasts to choose from, maybe three are considered USDA-approved organic.
"It's chemistry, basically," said Patrick Barnes.
Their spirits don't go on sale until September, once the state approves their pricing and liquor store sales. In its first year, the company expects to produce 3,500 cases of vodka and gin.
But there's already a Bainbridge Battle Point Whiskey waiting list.
"They know it's gonna be limited production and gonna go fast," Keith Barnes said.
Fast selling, but slow sipping. It's family products that can be passed from generation to generation -- now that's a Bainbridge legacy.
It's Bainbridge Organic Distillers, Kitsap County's first legal distillery in more than a century, and the first in the state to use all-organic spririts.
"We're the only distillery that's supposed to be on the island," said Keith Barnes. "(But) there's a pretty colorful past here of people that have toiled with distilling."
There's no bootlegger batches here. This father-son team is forging new ground with our state's first organic distillery, using locally grown grains and yeast.
"I think people are a lot more aware of what they're putting in their bodies," Keith Barnes said.
Gin, whiskey, and vodka, 80 proof -- and they hope recession proof. Buying 100 percent organic ingredients isn't easy.
Out of hundreds of yeasts to choose from, maybe three are considered USDA-approved organic.
"It's chemistry, basically," said Patrick Barnes.
Their spirits don't go on sale until September, once the state approves their pricing and liquor store sales. In its first year, the company expects to produce 3,500 cases of vodka and gin.
But there's already a Bainbridge Battle Point Whiskey waiting list.
"They know it's gonna be limited production and gonna go fast," Keith Barnes said.
Fast selling, but slow sipping. It's family products that can be passed from generation to generation -- now that's a Bainbridge legacy.