Announcing Founding Spirits Dry Gin

We are excited to share some very big Founding Spirits news. We have distilled a great new spirit right here in the heart of our nation’s capital: Founding Spirits Dry Gin. 

For the past several years, we have been on a mission to create a superior dry gin for a perfect martini with a twist and an easygoing, classic gin & tonic. And we have done it. Distillery Director Jon Arroyo and Distillery Manager Bob VanLancker have created a classic, London-style dry gin.

Founding Spirits Dry Gin is distilled from North Dakota wheat, Virginia rye, and malted barley with a rich bouquet of botanicals, including chamomile, bergamot, mint, and lime zest. It is a medium-bodied dry gin, with a hint of spice, and a nice long finish. 

Like all of our spirits, we distill our Founding Spirits Dry Gin in small batches in our DC distillery, located in Mt Vernon Square. 

Looking for a way to get a taste of our great new spirit? 

  • Stop by Founding Farmers & Distillers bar to try it in a cocktail, and buy a bottle to take home with you. 
  • Try our Monumental Mule cocktail at the Capital One Arena during game days and other events. Founding Spirits is the official distillery of the arena
  • Ask for Founding Spirits at restaurants and bars across the DMV. 
  • Purchase a bottle of Founding Spirits Dry Gin online.
  • Grab a bottle at one of these fine retailers across the DC region and into Delaware. 
  • If you are in the industry, order Founding Spirits Dry Gin, as well as all of our spirits, wholesale through Breakthru Beverage Group and Prestige–Ledroit Distributing Co.

Once you have tasted it, please let us know what you think. Visit us on social @ InstagramTwitter, or Facebook

Founding Spirits Now Available Wholesale

Handcrafted spirits from DC’s award-winning distillery are now available wholesale in Washington, D.C., through Breakthru Beverage Group, and in Maryland and Delaware, through Prestige-Ledroit Distributing Co. 

Restaurants, bars, and retail sellers in DC, Maryland, and Delaware can order all of our DC-made spirits wholesale, including: 

Delightful on their own or in a cocktail, our spirits make a great addition to any spirit portfolio. We’d love to help you bring our craft spirits to your customers.

To learn more about how to get Founding Spirits wholesale, please reach out to us through our online wholesale online order form

We hope to have our spirits available across the Mid-Atlantic region in the near future. 

Lighting Up Nats Park with Founding Spirits

DC’s first Enchant Christmas has come to town creating a winter wonderland at our beloved Nationals Park, and Founding Spirits is delighted to take part in the festivities.

As one of the official Enchant Christmas sponsorsFounding Spirits is featured in some very special ways. We have created a unique cocktail that is already Instagram famous. Our Founding Spirits Enchanted Cocktail, served in a super cool light bulb cup, is the perfect mix of our Founding Spirits award-winning vodka, spiced syrup, lemon, and apple juice. Enchant Christmas is also warming guests up with hot chocolate spiked with our Founding Spirits American Amaro

Enchant Christmas DC is the place to light up your holiday season. The festivities include the world’s largest Christmas light maze, a holiday food & Christmas market, and an ice skating trail that winds through this magical space. Enchant is in town through December 29th. Tickets are available here

If you can’t make it to Nats Park, there are several local bars and restaurants in and around the Navy Yard area that carry Founding Spirits too, including The Ugly Mug, The Salt Line, and Roy Boys. Or, stop by Founding Farmers & Distillers – home of DC’s #1 local Vodka – where we have a bar menu sure to lift your spirits.

Founding Spirits is the Official Distillery for Capital One Arena

We are delighted to announce our partnership with DC’s Capital One Arena.

For the coming season, Founding Spirits is the Official Vodka, Dry Gin, and Official Distillery of Capital One Arena. This means more and more DC fans will be drinking DC spirits while cheering on their hometown heroes, attending concerts, and more. Founding Spirits is available across the arena for all events, at bars throughout the concourse, and in all Capital One suites. 

Looking for somewhere to pre-game? Join us at Founding Farmers & Distillers for CAPS Hour before each home game. Enjoy food and drink specials at the bar, including a variety of delicious cocktails made with the spirit of Capital One Arena, Founding Spirits.

As the Official Distillery of Capital One Arena and makers of DC’s #1 local Vodka, Founding Spirits is available at many local restaurants and bars, including Jack Rose, Bluejacket, Hook Hall, Roy Boys, Serenata, The Game DC, and more.

Across our fine city, we’re pouring DC’s locally-made spirits to toast all of our teams, whether based at Cap One Arena or elsewhere. 

DC Fans Drink DC Spirit. Let’s go Caps and let’s go Wizards!

A Festival of Whiskey & Fine Spirits

Last night, our Founding Spirits team participated in the eighth annual Whiskey & Fine Spirits Festival, hosted by the district’s own Washingtonian magazine. This year’s event was held at Dock5, DC’s unique warehouse space located in historic Union Market. 

Our Founding Spirits team served tastings of two of our award-winning spirits: our Founding Spirits American Amaro and Founding Spirits American Whiskey. Guests also sampled a wide array of other premium whiskeys and fine spirits. Over 500 attendees enjoyed this annual event, mingling with other spirit lovers and grooving to the rock cover band sounds of the 7 Deadlies.

If you couldn’t join this year’s Whiskey & Fine Spirits Festival, please stop by the bar at Founding Farmers & Distillers for a taste of our amaro and American whiskey, as well as our DC’s #1 local Vodka, all handcrafted at our on-site distillery. 

Our spirits can also be purchased online, and make great holiday gifts for all of the cocktail lovers on your list. For a special Saturday treat, book a Tour & Tasting with some friends to get a behind the scenes look into our Founding Spirits distillery… and, of course, stay for a great meal

Holiday Gifts for Spirit Lovers

The gift-giving season is upon us. At Founding Spirits, we have great gifts for whiskey lovers, dry gin lovers, vodka lovers, amaro lovers, and honestly, for any spirit lovers. Our award-winning spirits can make an ordinary alcohol gift set something special. All of our Founding Spirits are made in small batches in our distillery right in the heart of nation’s capital.

Give something extraordinary this holiday season:

Build your own festive, liquor gift sets. For example, our favorite whiskey gift set—a fantastic whiskey Christmas gift for all of the whiskey lovers on your list—includes two of our handcrafted spirits for a great combination of tastes: our Founding Spirits American Whiskey and our four-time award-winning Founding Spirits American Amaro. You can also build a holiday gift set using your favorite selection or all of the spirits in our collection.

Share a bottle. Choose from any of our complete line of Founding Spirits, including our specially crafted GW Limited Edition Founding Spirits Amaro, featuring honey from the urban apiary we support at The George Washington University. All are available by the bottle for purchase online. You can also pick up our craft vodka, dry gin, American whiskey, and our unusually delicious amaro at Farmers & Distillers, and at many local retailers.

Treat someone to a taste of our spirits. Join us at our bar and let our mixologists craft the perfect cocktail for you and your special guest(s) featuring our spirits. We are open seven days a week throughout the holiday season. Book a behind-the-scenes tour of our distillery. Our Founding Spirits Tour & Tasting is a great present for those who would enjoy learning how we distill our spirits, getting a taste of what we are distilling, and sipping one of our renowned craft cocktails. Tours can be booked between 11am and 2pm on Saturdays and last approximately 60 minutes.

Plan a spirited holiday celebration with us at Founding Farmers & Distillers. Contact us to create a fun and unique holiday party with our handcrafted spirits as the focus. What could be a better Christmas present for someone who already has it all than a festive occasion with great friends, great cocktails, and great food?

Give a Farmers Restaurant Group gift certificate. Our gift certificates are good in any of our restaurants, including at our award-winning bars. If you have a craft cocktail or craft spirit-loving friend, family member, or colleague, get them a gift certificate and let them experience some of our scratch-made goodness in person.

There are so many ways we can help you create a distinct holiday gift for so many people on your list… from someone very special to that troublesome someone you never know what to get. Give Founding Spirits this year.

Unite the District

Great music, food & drink – that’s definitely a combination that is sure to Unite the District! On Friday, October 4th Founding Spirits joined some of DC’s best restaurants and breweries at Audi Field for Unite the District. From cuisine and arts to drinks and music, this unique, first-of-its-kind event combined all things DC and what makes our city so special. 

Event goers arrived at Audi Field at 7pm on Friday with a welcome Unite the District tasting glass, then all were invited to explore tastings from local breweries, restaurants, and distilleries. The Founding Spirits crew served up our FS Mule, made with our very own Founding Spirits Vodka, ginger, lime, and mint. Not only was our handcrafted cocktail a hit with event attendees, but the event band, Black Alley, also came by to enjoy the FS Mule and our FS American Whiskey.

If you weren’t able to attend, or just love our FS Mule and our spirits, come on over to Farmers & Distillers, the restaurant where Founding Spirits is located. If you’d like to craft your own version of a mule, you can purchase our award-winning Founding Spirits Vodka as well as our amaro and American whiskey online or at 30+ local retailers across the DMV.

You can also join us on Saturdays for our free Tour & Tasting, starting at 11am. Book your tour today. 

Citi Open 2019: That’s a Wrap

As the Official Vodka and American Whiskey of the 2019 Citi Open – one of DC’s biggest sporting events – our tennis tournament week was packed full of festivities: from our popular kickoff event and tasty spirits to lively tastings and some friendly competition that extended beyond the courts of the Rock Creek Tennis Center.  

In addition to serving our tasty craft cocktails to guests all week long, we hosted a Founding Spirits Cocktail Clash, giving six of DC’s top bartenders the challenge of mixing their most delicious Highball using any of our Founding Spirits. 

  • Roger Molina, Farmers & Distillers, introduced the Ace Highball, his take on a classic Aperol Spritz, made with Founding Spirits Vodka, lemon, mint, club soda, and Aperol. 
  • Christine Kim, Service Bar, played with fresh peaches and Founding Spirits Vodka in her Game-Set-Peach cocktail.
  • Frank Mills, Roy Boys, was definitely the star of the {Boomerang} show with his charismatic shake making the rounds on Instagram. His Love & Match-rimoney Highball, made with Founding Spirits Vodka, grapefruit, and florals, was packed full of just as much punch.
  • Andra Johnson, Serenata, mixed up her It’s All Love cocktail, with a choice of Founding Spirits Vodka or our Founding Spirits American Whiskey blended with flavors everyone seemed to love, including: strawberry, banana, pomegranate, ginger, and walnut, to name a few. 
  • Eric King, 100 Proof Strategies, came in strong with his Brown Derby Energy, mixing Founding Spirits American Whiskey with a spiced grapefruit syrup that was understated, yet full of flavor.  
  • Jo-Jo Valenzuela, The Game DC, came in HOT with his spiced mango soda and Thai basil-infused Tangdang Soda, mixed with a choice of Founding Spirits Vodka or our American Whiskey. This drink was on fire during the competition, and Jo-Jo ended up taking home a well-deserved “W” this year. 

Each bartender absolutely killed it, and we’re grateful for their participation in what we hope will become an annual event. Another huge shout out to all the event goers who stopped by our tasting booths at Citigold and outside Market Square. 

Now that the tournament is over but summer is still heating up our streets, we look forward to continuing to toast all things DC and seeing many of you out at our distillery, located at 600 Massachusetts Ave, just inside Farmers & Distillers. Stop by for a cocktail or a tour, grab a bottle to take home, or place your order for delivery online.

Direct from the Big Easy: Tales of Founding Spirits

Our Founding Spirits team is back from the Big Easy and sharing their tales of this weekend’s spirited Tales of the Cocktail event. 

Known as one of the most spirited, sought after events in the world of cocktails, Tales of the Cocktail returned to New Orleans for its 17th year and our team was happy to be in the mix once again. Part education, part networking, and part family reunion, we shared our small-batch, award-winning line of spirits – Founding Spirits VodkaFounding Spirits American Amaro, and Founding Spirits American Whiskey

Hosting “Meet the Distillers,” guests mixed & mingled with our dynamic Founding Spirits distillery team, led by Distillery Director Jon Arroyo, Distillery Manager Bob VanLancker, and Vice President Clyde Davis, Jr. Also on hand, our Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Meaghan O’Shea

We welcomed event goers with three handcrafted cocktails made with our Founding Spirits: 

  • Amaro Zombie made with Founding Spirits American Amaro, Wray & Nephew rum, Pernod Absinthe, falernum, grapefruit, lime, pineapple, and grenadine
  • Missionary’s Downfall made with Founding Spirits American Whiskey, Wray & Nephew Rum, Crème de Pêche, lime, and honey
  • Bitter Colada made with Founding Spirits American Amaro, Wray & Nephew rum, absinthe bitters, pineapple, cane syrup, and coconut cream

We also served up some delicious eats from the Dog Haus restaurant team, thanks to our pop-up partnership, and connected with industry professionals from around the globe while rocking out at the “Indie Spirits that Rock” event. 

Now we are back home at our distillery in the heart of DC. Our team left New Orleans inspired by great talent, energized by our new friends and fans, and ready to continue sharing all that is Founding Spirits in our distillery with our tours & tastings, at our restaurant, and at liquor stores across the DMV, and beyond

Tales of the Cocktail event proceeds benefit the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, a leading, non-profit organization created to educate, advance, and support the craft cocktail and hospitality industry through programs that benefit not only individual industry professionals, but also to make a lasting impact within the communities that host events.

The Perfect Match: Founding Spirits + DC’s Citi Open

Another big win for our Founding Spirits team. We are thrilled to serve as the Official Vodka + Whiskey Sponsor at this year’s Citi Open.

Each year, the world’s top tennis players descend upon Washington, D.C. to compete in the famed Citi Open. Founding Spirits is delighted to play a part in the excitement surrounding this elite tournament.

Join us at this year’s Citi Open in DC’s beautiful Rock Creek Park Tennis Center July 27th through August 4th. We will be serving up two very special Founding Spirits craft cocktails featuring the #1 vodka crafted and sold in DC, our very own Founding Spirits Vodka, and our Founding Spirits American Whiskey for Citi Open guests to enjoy:

  • Our Match Point Mule is a delightful summertime refresher blending our award-winning Founding Spirits Vodka with fresh lime juice and mint syrup, shaken and served over ice, then finished with ginger beer and garnished with fresh lime and mint. 
  • Our Break Point Buck is made with our Founding Spirits American Whiskey, fresh lemon juice, and a tasty blackberry syrup, shaken and served over ice, then topped off with ginger beer and a fresh lemon and blackberry garnish.

We will also have our uniquely delicious, quadruple award-winning Founding Spirits American Amaro on hand for guests to enjoy.  

Can’t wait to see you there this July 27 – August 4, along with approximately 72,000 of our fellow Citi Open attendees, to cheer on many of today’s top tennis greats, including: Belinda Bencic, Bianca Andreescu, Kevin Anderson, Sofia Kenin, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Kei Nishikori.  

Follow us at Founding Spirits on InstagramFacebook, and Twitter for any updates and to see all of our small-batch spirits and smash hits coming your way at the Citi Open.