Tag: Founding Spirits Arroyo’s “Never Bitter” Amaro

Lighting Up Nats Park with Founding Spirits

Last modified: March 23, 2023

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 sponsors, Founding 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.

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. 

Direct from the Big Easy: Tales of Founding Spirits

Last modified: July 19, 2021

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 Vodka, Founding 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.

Get Dad into the Spirit this Father’s Day

Last modified: January 17, 2020

We have the perfect way to celebrate all the great dads in your life this Father’s Day: our handcrafted line of award-winning spirits. Founding Spirits has a unique, delicious selection of spirits many dad would surely love this June 16th. 

Our small batch line of spirits are made in-house in downtown Washington, D.C. at our custom-built, micro-batch distillery located within our restaurant, Farmers & Distillers. 

With many of the ingredients for our spirits trucked directly to us from our farmer owner partners at the North Dakota Farmers Union, we’re pretty certain our spirits will be a hit this Father’s Day.

Distilled and blended to preserve the true flavors of the ingredients we use, our craft spirits are meant to be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, with a twist, or poured in one of the cocktails handmade at home or at our bar. 

Pick up a bottle of our Founding Spirits Amaro, Dry Gin, Vodka, and American Whiskey, not only at Farmers & Distillers, but our spirits are also available at select fine retailers.

You can also pick up some great swag to pair with a bottle of our spirits. Our logo’d hats and t-shirts are available at Farmers & Distillers.  

For a special treat, give dad a great experience to enjoy in the near future by scheduling a behind the scenes distillery Tour & Tasting. Our distillery tours are available for up to eight people and includes: six spirit tastings, a cocktail, and a few delicious bites. Add brunch before or after your tour at Farmers & Distillers. Reservations are available here.

If you can’t make it in to see us or pick up a bottle, we make your Father’s Day gift giving easy. You can also purchase any (or all) of our Founding Spirits online. 

Cheers to all the great dads out there!

Move Over Chocolates. Love on Your Valentine with the Bittersweet Taste of Our Amaro

Last modified: July 19, 2021

With Valentine’s Day just days away, get creative and break free from the traditional box of chocolates… give your love the bittersweet goodness of our limited edition Founding Spirits American Amaro.

This micro-batch amaro is a very special version of our quadruple award-winner that is distilled with honey from our very own urban apiary atop a building within the downtown DC campus of The George Washington University.

Delicious on its own or blended within an Amaro Daiquiri or Negroni Swizzle, our amaro makes for an unusually sweet and thoughtful gift. A perfect valentine.

Stop by Farmers & Distillers and pick up a bottle of our amaro today. We are sure it will wow your love more than chocolates ever could.

A Spirited, Award-Winning Year in Review

Last modified: March 23, 2023

It’s been quite an amazing year for our in-house, micro-batch distillery.

Custom-built inside Founding Farmers & Distillers, Founding Spirits is the brainchild of our dynamic distilling duo, Distillery Director, Jon Arroyo, and Distillery Manager, Bob VanLancker. In our first year, Founding Spirits has received some of the most acclaimed international awards, been recognized by spirit connoisseurs across the world as a new distillery to follow, and has been featured at events in our nation’s capital and beyond. If that isn’t enough, we have also transitioned to selling our spirits online so you don’t have to live near one of our restaurants to get a taste of our award-winning spirits.

We know that part of what makes our spirits so special is that our farmer-owned, scratch-made, source-matters mission runs through all we do, even our craft spirits. Our family-farmed wheat is trucked to us from our co-owners, the North Dakota Farmers Union, for our award-winning Founding Spirits Vodka. The corn, wheat, barley, and oats come direct from our good friend and farmer, the late Billy Dawson, for our Founding Spirits American Whiskey. The honey for our limited-edition Amaro is harvested right here in downtown DC with our apiary partnership with The George Washington University.

This year’s awards & recognition have really put us on the craft spirits map. To date, Founding Spirits has won FIVE major industry awards. With Founding Spirits American Amaro winning four prestigious awards:

… and our Founding Spirits Vodka notably awarded BRONZE by the American Distilling Institute.

We were featured guests at the world-famous Tales of the Cocktail participating in two conference-sponsored tastings. We joined bartenders and spirit specialists from across the globe at the fourth annual Tiki by the Sea, teaching and training how to craft the best tiki cocktails. And we have enjoyed meeting, greeting, and serving our fans at events across the DC metropolitan area. Our Founding Spirits Vodka was the sponsored spirit for one of the nation’s biggest tennis events, DC’s Citi Open. We’ve served our famous Cucumber Delight to the delight of guests at DC’s biggest industry award gala, The RAMMY’s; hosted our very own Kentucky Derby celebration complete with our Founding Spirits Derby-inspired cocktails and a tasting with our award-winning team; and we served handcrafted cocktails and joined forces to support DC Central Kitchen, St. Jude, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance, and more.

We’ve been delighted to be able to offer our spirits for sale online this year too.

We couldn’t be more excited about the past year at Founding Spirits.

Come in and see (and taste) for yourself. Book a tour with us. Founding Spirits distillery tours and tastings are available Saturdays by reservations; walk-ins are also accepted pending availability. Or join us at Founding Farmers & Distillers and have one of our expert cocktail specialists make you a Founding Spirits craft cocktail.

Founding Spirits can also be purchased at Farmers & Distillers, through multiple local retailers, and ordered online.

A Very Merry Christmas with Our Founding Spirits Eggnog

Last modified: July 22, 2021

Try our delicious Christmas Eggnog featuring our four-time award-winning Founding Spirits American Amaro and Founding Spirits American Whiskey.

Stop by Farmers & Distillers on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, get a glimpse of our functioning in-house distillery Founding Spirits, and a taste of our scratch-made Christmas Eggnog. You can enjoy a glass in house or take home your very own hand-prepared bottle along with the necessary spirits to make this festive, holiday classic at home.

Our Christmas Eggnog is a delicious mix of pasteurized eggs, cream, milk, sugar, our special spice blend, and a bit of vanilla extract. It will be ready for pick up Christmas Eve or Christmas day for purchase. The spirits are also available for purchase at Farmers & Distillers.

Bring home these festive and delicious ingredients to make your own Eggnog with this recipe straight from our expert bar & distillery team:

Farmers & Distillers Christmas Eggnog, Featuring our Founding Spirits:

.75 oz FS American Amaro

.75 oz FS American Whiskey

3-4 oz F&D prepared Christmas Eggnog

You will love our take on the traditional tune of this We Wish You A Merry Christmas cocktail classic, as the bitter notes from the amaro and the high proof of the whiskey cut the sweetness and make for a light, delicious holiday treat. We think it’s the best Christmas cocktail in town. Merry Merry to you & all of yours.

Give the Gift of Founding Spirits

Last modified: July 22, 2021

Need a special gift this holiday season? Hoping to show up to that holiday party with something gracious and different? Want to impress your new boss or your in-laws?

At Founding Spirits, we have put together some very special holiday gifts this season: holiday boxes of our award-winning spirits. Choose from three different gift boxes – or pick up all three:

Founding Spirits American Amaro Gift Box

Founding Spirits Vodka Gift Box

Founding Spirits American Whiskey Gift Box

Founding Spirits gift boxes are only available at Farmers & Distillers. Stop by for a drink or a meal and pick up your holiday gifts. We are open every day throughout the holiday season.

If you can’t get to Farmers & Distillers, you can also order our individual spirits online, and they can be shipped across the country. Currently we are offering a very special edition of our quadruple award-winning amaro made with honey from our apiary atop George Washington University.

If you need additional gifts, we have other options. The Founding Farmers Cookbook, which is sure to make the chefs in your life happy, is also available for purchase online. Add one of our restaurant gift cards to create a great, personalized gift package.

At Farmers Restaurant Group, we have many ways to bring you & yours cheer this holiday season. Skip the Black Friday mayhem and seasonal angst, and get your holiday gifts from us. Check out our online holiday guide for celebrating your upcoming festivities with us, from gifts to feasts To Go, let us help you make this holiday season a little bit easier.

Fun & Fine Spirits at DC’s Dock 5

Last modified: July 22, 2021

Founding Spirits participated in the seventh annual Washingtonian Whiskey & Fine Spirits Festival on Thursday, November 15, 2018 at Dock 5 in DC’s Union Market.

Distillery Director, Jon Arroyo, and Distillery Manager, Bob VanLancker, served Vieux Carre with Founding Spirits American Whiskey, Founding Spirits American Amaro, bénédictine , and cognac to a sold-out crowd. This unusual craft cocktail was a smashing success.

Attendees also enjoyed sips of premium whiskey, scotch, bourbon, vodka, gin, tequila, and more from over 40 other local and national distillers. The event included live music and light fare from Ridgewells Catering, everyone enjoying what many say is one of the coolest event spaces in DC. Dock 5 is directly above the historic Union Market and features 12,000 expansive square feet with high ceilings and glass garage doors.

Sponsored by Washingtonian magazine, the entire event made for a classic DC evening.

Get Your Cocktail On with Founding Spirits

Last modified: July 22, 2021

Find our Founding Spirits front and center for this year’s annual DC Cocktail Week celebrations across our Farmers Restaurant Group of restaurants.

From Monday, November 12th – Sunday, November 18th, our teams at Founding Farmers DC, Farmers Fishers Bakers, and Farmers & Distillers will be participating, along with 60 other local area restaurant and bar teams, in DC Cocktail Week, a weeklong celebration of DC’s dynamic bartenders, mixologists, and bar and beverage teams from across our region.

Our teams have been working hard to create offerings of our scratch-made goodness to highlight what sets DC Cocktail Week apart – celebrating not only the art of creating delicious, handcrafted cocktails, but the nearly divine pairing of the perfect cocktail with the perfect bite. All for $15. Now that’s worth a special week of celebration.

Find our handcrafted Bridgetown Sour cocktail, featuring Founding Spirits Vodka, perfectly paired with our delicious Chips & Dips served with fresh guacamole, salsa, pimento cheese, and corn tortillas at Founding Farmers DC. At Farmers & Distillers, you’ll find our scratch-made, Savory Beignet paired with our handcrafted The American cocktail. This modern spin on traditional Irish Coffee, is served hot or cold, and features our very own, pot-stilled and barrel-aged Founding Spirits American Whiskey with an amaro cream finish. At Farmers Fishers Bakers, our team has our handcrafted Negroni Spritzer, made with Founding Spirits American Amaro, paired with a much-loved guest favorite, our Margarita Pizza.

Join us at these sibling restaurants during DC Cocktail Week for a taste of all that Founding Spirits has to offer.

Order our spirits online to get the same great taste at home or for the perfect holiday gift. Friends, colleagues, and family members will love the fine spirits we’re distilling.