Category: Drinks

Introducing Founding Spirits Gift Box

Last modified: March 23, 2023

Gift boxes are not currently available.

We have created a Founding Spirits gift box to help you with your holiday shopping.

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Our Founding Spirits gift box – Find Your Spirit – is a special Founding Spirits Tasting Kit designed to inspire delicious cocktails. It is the perfect holiday gift for your bestie, your boss, your neighbor, your cousin, for any spirit lover on your holiday shopping list.

We have developed a selection of DC-made award-winning spirits using grains and botanicals from farmers we know and trust, including fourth-generation wheat farmers, the Watne family from Minot, ND and Bay’s Best Feed in Heathsville, VA. Located in the heart of our nation’s capital, we distill small-batch spirits recognized by distillers and spirit connoisseurs worldwide. Our Founding Spirits tasting kit includes:

  • Founding Spirits Vodka (200 mL)
  • Founding Spirits Dry Gin (200 mL)
  • Founding Spirits American Amaro (200 mL)
  • A Founding Spirits tasting glass
  • George Washington University Honey (8 oz) sourced from our partnership with their Undergraduate Honey Bee Research Laboratory & Apiary that conducts vital research to understand the role of honey bees in the diversity of the world’s food supply and our ecosystem 

You can purchase our Founding Spirits gift box online for curbside pick up at most of our restaurants, local delivery, or it can be shipped across the US. If you order more than one, we can arrange for local delivery. We can also accommodate larger orders for bulk delivery or pick up.  

If you are looking for other holiday gifts, of course all of our Founding Spirits can be purchased online.

In addition, we have created a variety of Founding Farmers gift boxes as well, providing the perfect present for almost everyone on your list. In addition to our Founding Spirits Tasting Kit, our Founding Farmers holiday gift boxes include:

  • Morning Coffee & Pancakes — Everything needed to make a delicious Founding Farmers pancake breakfast at home, including our Founding Farmers house-roasted coffee.
  • Eat Dessert First!  All of the fixin’s to easily whip up a batch of our Shortbread Sugar Cookies at home and serve them with our Founding Farmers Chocolate and an assortment of scratch-made dipping and drizzling sauces.
  • Honey & Spice & Everything Nice – Make our fan favorites at home with The Founding Farmers Cookbook and some of our go-to pantry essentials.

To see full details of what is included in our gift boxes, check out our gift box ordering page.

Of course, we also have other great holiday gifts, including restaurant gifts cards, The Founding Farmers Cookbook, and our kids book – Our Family Farm ­– made by our farmer-owners. Our entire holiday gift catalogue can be found in our holiday gift guide. In addition, we have delicious treats like our new Founding Farmers Chocolate and essentials like our house-roasted Founding Farmers coffee, which can be purchased through our Founding Farmers Market & Grocery.  All of our holiday gifts can be purchased online.

Give Founding Spirits and Founding Farmers this holiday season.

Four More Awards for our Founding Spirits

Last modified: July 19, 2021

Founding Spirits brought home some big wins – four SILVER awards –  from the spirit industry’s prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition and American Craft Spirits Association. 

The newest member of our spirited family, Founding Spirits Dry Gin, won SILVER, as did our Founding Spirits American Amaro, at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Two SILVER awards were also given to our Founding Spirits Vodka and Founding Spirits American Amaro at the 2020 American Craft Spirits Association’s seventh annual American Craft Spirits Awards: Judging of Craft Spirits.

With these four new SILVER awards, Founding Spirits has now garnered a grand total of nine awards in just over two years: 

To get a taste of our award-winning spirits for yourself, Founding Spirits is available for purchase at liquor stores throughout the DC and Maryland areas, and in Delaware, as well as online at Founding Spirits.com.

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is one of the industry’s most highly competitive, influential spirit competitions. Their exceptional reputation among trade and consumers is built upon their commitment to three founding principles: Legacy. Integrity. Experience. This year, they had a record-breaking number of entries – a whopping 3,000 – from all corners of the world.

The American Craft Spirits Association is the only registered national non-profit trade group representing the U.S. craft spirits industry. For this year’s awards, a carefully selected group of more than 30 expert judges evaluated more than 500 craft spirit entries. 

Announcing Founding Spirits Dry Gin

Last modified: March 23, 2023

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 @ Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. 

Founding Spirits Now Available Wholesale

Last modified: July 19, 2021

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. 

A Festival of Whiskey & Fine Spirits

Last modified: March 23, 2023

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

Last modified: March 23, 2023

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.

Citi Open 2019: That’s a Wrap

Last modified: August 16, 2019

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.

Sippin’ On Founding Spirits at the RAMMYS

Last modified: January 17, 2020

Last night was filled with exciting festivities and celebrations at the 37th annual Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s biggest event of the year – the RAMMYS. Founding Spirits was happy to serve as event bar sponsor while supporting our town’s best restaurant industry revelry and awards ceremony.

Each year, RAMMY goers don their finest party formalwear to celebrate the best of the best on DC’s restaurant scene. This year’s event gala was held at the Walter E. Reed Convention Center, just blocks from our award-winning Founding Spirits distillery in downtown DC.   

Founding Spirits Distillery Director Jon Arroyo, Vice President Clyde Davis, Jr. and their team were on hand to share Founding Spirits with gala guests and celebrate a great year of exceptional talent and creativity, industry growth, and delicious food and drink. 

We were delighted to serve up two specially-crafted cocktails, made just for the evening’s festivities. Our:

These tennis-themed craft cocktail names have significance for our team, as: Founding Spirits has been named the OFFICIAL VODKA and the OFFICIAL WHISKEY of the Citi Open! 

If you weren’t able to make it to this year’s RAMMYS, come join us at the Citi Open, in DC’s Rock Creek Park Tennis Center from July 27 – August 4, for a chance to get a taste of these refreshing summer cocktails and all of our spirits, including our award-winning Founding Spirits Vodka.

Stay tuned to Founding Spirits on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more details. 

Tiki by the Sea, Jersey Shore Style

Last modified: July 19, 2021

Our Founding Spirits dynamic trio, Jon Arroyo, Bob VanLancker, and the newest member of our FS team, Clyde Davis, Jr. have been spending some quality time over the past two weeks at the Jersey Shore with other mixologists, bartenders, and Tiki connoisseurs from around the globe.

This summer’s Tiki by The Sea in Wildwood, NJ was held over two weekends (June 9-11 and June 16-18). Our crew spent their days filled with Tiki learning, swapping trade secrets and Tiki tips, and learning about the ancient Polynesian Tiki culture and the history of Tiki bars.  

Founding Spirits Distillery Director, Jon Arroyo, presented “The Magic of the Frozen Cocktail” to a packed house, sharing what makes a great Tiki cocktail across our restaurants. For us, it often starts with our very own award-winning small-batch spirits, which we had on hand for everyone to taste in some of our magic frozen cocktails.

Even though our Tikis are most well-known at Farmers Fishers Bakers, we have plenty of Tiki-inspired cocktails right next to our distillery, at the bar at Farmers & Distillers restaurant.

So, let our distillery team’s field trip to the Jersey Shore serve as a reminder – the sun is shining, the temperatures are rising, and Tiki season is here. 

Stop by our bar and get a taste of all the magic that is the Tiki cocktail. Also check out our Weekend Tiki Patio at Farmers Fishers Bakers set right on Georgetown’s Waterfront at the Washington Harbour. It is the perfect setting for some Tiki fun every weekend, all summer long. We’ll have Tiki classics, a great mix of blended drinks, and you can even get a taste of our deliciously perfected, The Margarita 2019

Tiki by the Sea is a trade-focused educational and immersive cultural experience into the culture, spirits, and drinks of the Tiki era. It is held in Wildwood, NJ in June and Fregene, Italy in September.

Celebrating Derby Day with Our FS American Whiskey

Last modified: January 17, 2020

America’s Greatest Race is coming to Founding Spirits. In spirit anyway. 

Join us April 29th through May 5th, as our Farmers & Distillers in-house distillery team celebrates derby day our way for another year of this American tradition. 

Sure, we love the hats, the horses, and the pomp and circumstance of the Kentucky Derby, but we’ve got to be honest… for our distillery team… it’s really all about the booze.

During derby season, that means our pot stilled, barrel aged, award-winning Founding Spirits American Whiskey.

Aged to perfection, our FS American Whiskey is rich and smooth, with an earthy taste that creates the perfect spirit to craft our cocktails, or feel free to sip our American whiskey all on its own. We serve it neat or over hand-cut ice.

If Julep’s aren’t your thing, we have you covered. Our bar menu features a great selection of handcrafted whiskey cocktails and tastes to temp you.

Come in and see us during derby season. We’ll be here to serve you. Stop by on May 3rd from 5pm-7pm for our Open House with a mini tour of our distillery to get a behind the scenes look at how we craft our proprietary spirits. 

Find our Founding Spirits American Whiskey for purchase at our bar or online on our website, to enjoy at home long after derby season has left the gate. All derby week long, you will receive 10% off your Founding Spirits American Whiskey bottle purchase and a complimentary Founding Spirits copper Julep cup, while supplies last.