An award winning Washington Micro – Distillery using Washington grown materials offering a unique line of Whiskey, Brandy and Gin. We spoke to the founder of the distillery about making award winning whiskey.
Brandon, tell us about yourself. How did you find yourselves in the world of spirit distillation.
BE: My name is Brandon Egbert, I am 41 years old, married with a 16 year old daughter and a 15 year old son. I grew up on a farm here in eastern Washington and was a partner in the family farm from 2001 to 2015. After growing up working on the farm during the summer and then working there full time for fourteen years I just decided that I wanted to do something else. I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I knew farming was not it. After many days of thinking of possibilities distilling came up. I thought that it would be a fun and exciting job to have so I looked into what I needed to do open one. Then I happen to meet a gentleman that had started the process of opening a distillery for his son and the son was not interested in the distillery so I took it over. I only had to wait about two months before I could open because they had did all the waiting.
Interesting story Brandon. Tell us how the Whiskey Gap Distillery come about. Tell us about the name.
BE: Whiskey Gap Distillery is located in central eastern Washington just south of Spokane. During prohibition a lot of illegal bars opened up in Spokane. The rum runners stocking those bars needed to go north to Canada to get there spirits. Coming back south to Spokane they needed to use back roads of the Idaho pan handle area rarely used to escape the police. This area was so well used that the rum runners would call the area the Whiskey Gap. So that is how we came up with our distilleries name.
As with any new business, what challenges did you face when starting your distillery. What were some of your proudest moments.
BE: The biggest challenge I have had starting my distillery was basically learning everything it took to make the spirits. Before doing this I had no idea how to make the mashes, ferment or even distill. Everything was completely new to me. It took me months to figure out mashes and to get them to ferment enough alcohol and also to figure out my still and the boiler that heats it. Many sleepless nights. Of course getting enough sales has been a problem and I’m still working at getting them better. My proudest moment was for sure was having one of my whiskeys winning an award. In one year I went from not having a clue what to do to winning an award for the way something that I make tastes.
What does your role entail?
BE: As of right now I do everything from start to finish. I make the mashes, I distill them, I bottle, I stick each front and back labels on by hand and I also run the tasting room and even mix drinks when guests want one.
What spirits do you currently produce?
BE: I make an unaged corn whiskey, the corn whiskey infused with cinnamon and red chilies (which is the one that won the award), the corn whiskey infused with coffee beans, a potato gin, an apple brandy infused with cinnamon, an aged red wheat whiskey and an aged triticale whiskey.
The first spirit I made was the corn whiskey infused with cinnamon and red chilies because Fireball is so huge I figured that I needed a cinnamon whiskey. After that I just wanted to make spirits that were a little different. I wanted to make something out of potatoes but everyone always puts potatoes with vodka so I went with gin. A lot of people have never heard of triticale so I wanted to use it and a farmer right out of town grows it so I have easy access to it.
Talk for a minute about your choice of still – how did you know it would create the flavor profiles you were looking for?
BE: The still that I have was already ordered by the gentleman I took the distillery over for so I really didn’t have a say in what it was going to be. I do really like that he chose a steam heated still, I feel it produces better flavor because you can never scorch or burn your mash so only the awesome natural flavors come through.
What three words do you want people to associate with your whiskey?
BE: Pure craft spirits would probably be the three words I would want to be associated with. A lot of distilleries tell there customers that they are craft and they are really not. Some just by there alcohol from other distilleries and bottle it as there own. I am literally farm to bottle, some products like the corn and red wheat are grown on my families farm. I believe that I can get better tasting spirits than the bigger distilleries because I am so small that the quality control is done by me on every bottle. I make spirits that I would like if I went to a bar. That’s what I look for, if I would want to buy it then I make it. That might not be the right way to do things but that’s what I do.
Your favorite thing about going into the distillery each day?
BE: My very favorite thing about going into the distillery every day is that it is mine and mine to do whatever I think I should do with it. I may not choose the right things every time but I still love that it is my decision but when something works awesome the filling you get cannot be matched.
Where do you see your distillery 5 years from now?
BE: In May I will have my celebrate my second anniversary of opening so in five more years I at least hope that I am still open! Bringing home a pay check would also be nice. I would really like to see an expansion, more than one and/or bigger stills. I would also like to see a bar in the tasting room that I could open on the weekends to make drinks for guests. Something really cool and laid back that people could come in and just relax and have a cocktail or two.
