Welcome to Founding spirits
Know Your Farmer. Know Your Distiller.
A farmer-owned distillery? Yup. 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. We have custom-built our very own micro-batch distillery in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C. Our modern-day distilling wizards are cultivating unique and tasty spirits that preserve the true flavors that come from the wheat, barley, and rye, including the North Dakota and Virginia grains from farmers we know, like Mark & Michelle Watne of Watne Farms and the late Billy Dawson’s team at Bay’s Best Feed. Our flavorful spirits can be enjoyed on their own and are equally delicious in cocktails.
We invite you to get a taste of our award-winning spirits on site at 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 at Farmers & Distillers, online, and at fine retailers across DC, Maryland, and Delaware. Be sure to ask for Founding Spirits at your favorite bar or restaurant.
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 Farmers Restaurant Group. Our Distillery Manager, Bob VanLancker, has spent years bartending and managing our bar programs and knows the difference that great spirits make. He and his team distill our award-winning Founding Spirits to be exceptional in cocktails and for sipping on their own, neat or over rocks.
Learn more about Bob
Our spirits
Founding Spirits Vodka
Made with the purest ingredients in the heart of DC, we distill our award-winning American craft vodka with the aristocrat of wheat, Dark Northern Spring, more commonly known as Hard Red Spring Wheat. Harvested on the Watne’s family farm in North Dakota, this specific grain is a trademark of excellence in the world of wheat due to its high-protein and high-quality. Mark, Michelle, and their family are fourth-generation wheat, corn, barley, and soybean farmers; while Mark also serves as president of North Dakota Farmers Union. In addition to the ND wheat, the two other key components, rye and barley, are harvested by Billy Dawson’s Bay’s Best Feed in Heathsville, VA.
Find our Founding Spirits Vodka in these cocktails:
Cape Codder Spritz
Founding Spirits Vodka | Our Virginia Vines Rosé | Cold-pressed Cranberry Juice | Lime | Orange Essence | Seltzer
Sex and the City
Founding Spirits Vodka | Cointreau | Cold-Pressed Cranberry Juice | Founding Spirits Clementine Bitters
Founding Spirits Dry Gin
Handcrafted in the heart of our nation’s capital, our American Dry Gin is distilled in small batches using grains from farmers we know and trust. We wanted to create the best dry gin perfect for a martini with a twist and a gin & tonic. And we have done it. Founding Spirits Dry Gin pours easily across our fair city and beyond, offering a rich bouquet of chamomile, bergamot, and mint that combines complexity and unexpected comfort. This is the bottle you bring… when you want to get invited back.
Founding Spirits Arroyo’s “Never Bitter” Amaro
While amaro can have an intimidating reputation of being too bitter, we set out on a journey to make an approachable amaro spirit that everyone can enjoy. Our Founding Spirits Arroyo’s “Never Bitter” Amaro can only be described as delicious and “never bitter,” as the name suggests. Our original Distillery Director, Jon Arroyo, fell in love with digestifs and aperitifs throughout his travels to South America and Europe, and we made it our mission to celebrate this passion by bringing the magic of the before and after dinner drink home to the U.S.
Find our Founding Spirits Arroyo’s “Never Bitter” Amaro in these cocktails:
Rosebud
Founding Spirits Arroyo's "Never Bitter" Amaro | Skol Aquavit | 'The FUNK' Jamaican Rum | Patrón Citrónge | Lemon Juice | Coca-Cola
Jungle Bird
Founding Spirits Arroyo's "Never Bitter" Amaro | Plantation Dark | Campari | Lime | Cold-Pressed Pineapple
Founding Farmers spirit project
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