Welcome to Founding spirits

Our Founding Farmers scratch-made, source-matters mission has expanded. Growing our love of handcrafted food and drink, we started crafting our own spirits in 2009, slowly and sustainably creating a line of award-winning spirits meticulously crafted and quickly beloved.

In 2016, we custom-built our very own small-batch distillery, Founding Spirits, in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C. inside our restaurant, Farmers & Distillers.

A Farmer-Owned Distillery

Founding Spirits is majority owned by American family farmers and their values are at the heart of our distilled spirits. Every step of the process, from grain to glass, shows our commitment to farmers, hiqh-quality ingredients, and handcrafting premium products. Our distilling team cultivates unique and tasty spirits from American wheat, barley, corn, rye, and many botanicals.

We invite you to get a taste of our award-winning spirits on site at our distillery in Farmers & Distillers or at one of our sibling restaurants, Founding Farmers and Farmers Fishers Bakers. Founding Spirits is also available for purchase by the bottle in person and to go from our DC & MD restaurants, and online for nationwide shipping.

Drink extra responsibly by spending your dollars mindfully and supporting American family farmers.

Team

Founding Spirits was born of our passion for exceptional craft cocktails and more than a decade of experience running the award-winning bar & beverage programs for Founding Farmers Restaurants. Our Distiller, Bob VanLancker, has spent years bartending and managing our bar programs and knows the difference that great spirits make. After ensuring each spirit is just right, he and his team bottle and hand label our Vodka, Dry Gin, Bourbon, and American Amaro. It’s a labor of love fueled by a love of good spirits.

Learn more about Bob
Book a Tour

Our spirits

Buy Online

Vodka

Ingredients matter. We only use 100% high-quality corn harvested in the heartland by American farmers. We’re certain you can taste the difference. We look forward to becoming your new go-to favorite, the bottle you give to friends & family you actually like.

Founding Spirits Vodka makes a great gift and is available for purchase online or in our DC & MD restaurants, including Farmers & Distillers. We invite you to stop by any of our restaurants for a taste of our Vodka and other spirits. Our small-batch spirits are also available wholesale.

Find it many of our cocktails at Farmers & Distillers

Buy Online

Dry Gin

Our award-winning Dry Gin pours easily across our fair city and beyond, offering a rich bouquet of juniper & citrus with our proprietary botanical blend that combines complexity and unexpected comfort. This is the bottle you bring when you want to get invited back.

Handcrafted in the heart of our nation’s capital, our Dry Gin is distilled in small batches using grains from farmers we know and trust. We wanted to create a dry gin perfect for a martini with a twist and a gin & tonic. And we have done it, winning SILVER at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

If you are searching for the perfect premium Dry Gin, look no further than our Founding Spirits.

Stop by one of our restaurants for a taste of our DC-made Dry Gin. You can order Founding Spirits Dry Gin online or in person at our DC and MD restaurants. Our small-batch spirits are also available wholesale.

Buy Online

American Amaro

Crafted with our secret blend of 21 botanicals and sweetened with wildflower honey, our award-winning, barrel aged Amaro is drinkable on its own, in cocktails, and yes, delicious over ice cream. We love the European concept of drinking something before and after a meal, and in true American fashion, we’ve evolved it, creating an approachable, delicious Amaro.

Founding Spirits American Amaro makes a great gift for any spirit connoisseur and is available for purchase online or in our DC & MD restaurants, including Farmers & Distillers. We invite you to stop by any of our restaurants for a taste of our Amaro and other spirits. Our small-batch spirits are also available wholesale.

  

Buy Online

Bourbon

Bourbon is America’s spirit and ours is made with 100% American corn, rye, and barley from the heartland. Aged in new oak barrels for a minimum of two years, this harmonious spirit is sophisticated and comforting, delivering rich and confident notes of vanilla, molasses, toffee, and spice with a lush, lingering finish. Our Bourbon sips equally well in a Manhattan at the bar and a flask around the campfire. How do you prefer your Bourbon?

Want to buy our spirits?

Purchase our spirits at one of these fine retailers. Online ordering is also available here:

Founding Spirits Distillery
(located inside Farmers & Distillers)
600 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

dc retailers

Ace Beverage Fine Wines & Spirits

3301 New Mexico Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20016

Batch 13

1724 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

Calvert Woodley Fine Wines & Spirits

4339 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20008

D’vines

3103 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20010

District Liquors

1211 11th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Eye Street Cellars

425 Eye St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Founding farmers market & grocery

600 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Gallagher & Graham Fine Spirits

1939 12th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

Grand Cata

1550 7th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Michigan Liquors

3934 12th St NE, Washington, D.C. 20017

Morris Miller Wines & Liquors

7804 Alaska Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20012

Pan Mar Wine & Liquors

1926 I St NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

Pearson’s Wine & Spirits

2436 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20007

Potomac Wine & Spirits

3100 M St NW, Washington, D.C. 20007

S&R Wine & Liquors

1015 18th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

S&S Liquors

6925 4th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20012

Schneider’s of Capitol Hill

300 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

Sportsman’s Wines & Liquors

3249 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, D.C. 20010

Vitis Wine & Spirits

Union Market. 1309 5th Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

Wardman Wines

625 Monroe Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20017

maryland retailers

424 Wine & Spirits

2046 Davidsonville Rd, Crofton, MD 21114

Crescent Wine & Spirits

15501 Annapolis Rd, Bowie, MD 20715

Dunkirk Wine & Spirits

10802 Town Center Blvd, Dunkirk, MD 20754

Founding Farmers Market & Grocery

12505 Park Potomac Ave, Potomac, MD 20854

Harbour Wine & Spirits

527 Benfield Rd, Severna Park, MD 21146

Loading Dock Liquors

2101 Fleet St, Baltimore, MD 21231

Montgomery County Liquor & Wine Cabin John

11301 Seven Locks Road, Potomac, MD 20854

Montgomery County Liquor & Wine Darnestown

12155 Darnestown Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Montgomery County Liquor & Wine Downtown Rockville

300 North Washington Street, Rockville, MD 20850

Montgomery County Liquor & Wine Hampden

4920 Hampden Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814

Montgomery County Liquor & Wine Muddy Branch

866 Muddy Branch Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Montgomery County Liquor & Wine Potomac

10132 River Road, Potomac, MD 20854

Montgomery County Liquor & Wine Seneca Meadows

20680 Seneca Meadows Pky, Suite 2, Germantown, MD 20876

Montgomery County Liquor & Wine Silver Spring

8715 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Montgomery County Liquor & Wine Westwood

5432 Westbard Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20816

Old Line

200 S Janney St, Baltimore, MD 21224

The Beer Cave

20321 Piney Point Rd, Callaway, MD 20620

The Wine Bin

8390 Main St, Ellicott City, MD 21043

delaware retailer

Swigg | Real Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits

1601 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803

Book a tour

Location

Date

Time

Party size

Tours are postponed until further notice.

We invite you to come experience our DC distillery and award-winning spirits for yourself. Founding Spirits distillery tours are available on Saturdays by reservation, and walk-ins are accepted pending availability. Each tour accommodates up to eight guests, and includes: six spirit tastings, a cocktail, and a few delicious bites. So, come on in, take a look, have a sip (or six) of our spirits, and snack on some yummy food while learning about our approach to distilling.

Reserve a Table for Brunch Before or After Your Tour

Tours are postponed until further notice.

We invite you to come experience our DC distillery and award-winning spirits for yourself. Founding Spirits distillery tours are available on Saturdays by reservation, and walk-ins are accepted pending availability. Each tour accommodates up to eight guests, and includes: six spirit tastings, a cocktail, and a few delicious bites. So, come on in, take a look, have a sip (or six) of our spirits, and snack on some yummy food while learning about our approach to distilling.

Reserve a Table for Brunch Before or After Your Tour

Contact

You know what goes great with a tour? A reservation at Farmers & Distillers afterwards.

Reserve a Table

Contact

Book a tour