Watershed Distillery

Last updated
Watershed Distillery
Type Private
IndustryManufacturing of Distilled Spirits
Founded2010
FounderGreg Lehman and Dave Rigo
Headquarters,
Products Distilled spirits
Website watersheddistillery.com

Watershed Distillery is a microdistillery in Columbus, Ohio founded in 2010 by business partners Greg Lehman and Dave Rigo. The distillery was the second distillery opened in Central Ohio after prohibition, and Watershed brought to market the first legally distilled bourbon whiskey in Central Ohio post-prohibition in 2012. [1] The distillery offers tours to the public and was the first distillery in Ohio to open a restaurant on-site in February 2017, [2] following the passage of Ohio House Bill 351 in 2016. [3] The distillery offers six spirits: vodka, two types of American style gin, bourbon, nocino and a bottled Old Fashioned cocktail.

Contents

History

Business partners, Greg Lehman and Dave Rigo, began working on plans for Watershed Distillery in 2008. Seeing parallels between the microdistilling industry and the booming craft beer industry, [4] Lehman and Rigo set out to start the first distillery in Central Ohio post-prohibition.

On September 1, 2010, Watershed received its official Distilled Spirits Plant license (DSP) from the TTB and picked up the keys to the space on the same morning. The duo began work on the first two spirits they were bringing to market, Watershed Vodka and Watershed Gin, and sold their first bottles to the state of Ohio in December 2010. Due to Ohio being an alcoholic beverage control state, Watershed Distillery was now permitted through an A3 permit to sell bottles through the three tier state system, but they were not permitted to sell bottles on site at their distillery. In Ohio, from 2008 through the end of 2011, only one distillery in each of the three most populous counties (Hamilton, Franklin and Cuyahoga) could hold an A3-a permit. This permit allows microdistilleries to sell their products in an A3-a permitted shop on-site. Middle West Spirits, another microdistillery in Columbus, had applied for and obtained the permit for Franklin County a few months prior to Watershed. [5]

In an effort to create change for the industry in Ohio as a whole, Greg Lehman of Watershed Distillery, Ryan Lang of Middle West Spirits and Tom Herbruck of Tom's Foolery Distillery (Cleveland, Ohio), founded the Ohio Distiller's Guild to provide a legislative voice for the state's craft distillers as well as a professional organization that would allow for easier access and sharing of resources and information. [6] Through the guild, legislation was passed in December 2011 that freed up all micro distillers in the state of Ohio producing less than 10,000 proof gallons of high proof spirits annually to qualify for an A3-a permit which allowed them to not only sell bottles on site but also to offer samplings. [7]

In October 2015, Watershed announced its plan to quadruple production capacity by adding a new American built still from Headframe Spirits in Butte, Montana. [8] The new still was installed in June 2016. This announcement came in the midst of efforts by the Ohio Distillers' Guild to once again influence liquor legislation in the state. At the time, both Watershed Distillery and Middle West Spirits, were at risk of losing their A3-a license and the ability to sell bottles on site because they had experienced growth and were approaching the 10,000 proof gallon annual production limit imposed on their businesses by the 2011 legislative decision. [9] Through the efforts of the guild, House Bill 351 was pushed through both the Ohio House and Senate [10] with few objections and was signed into law on June 28, 2016. House Bill 351 also allows Ohio distilleries to open a bar/restaurant by permitting them to apply for an A1A license.

Spirits

Vodka

Vodka from Watershed Distillery was first sold in 2010 and at the time was made from Ohio corn sourced from local farms. The recipe has since changed and the distillers now create their vodka by blending a distillate they make from fresh pressed Ohio apple cider with their original corn distillate. Vodka from Watershed Distillery is bottled at 80 proof. [11]

Four Peel Gin

Four Peel Gin, formerly Watershed Gin, is the distillery's signature gin. The name was changed late in 2011 discovering another small distiller had a "Watershed Gin" in their portfolio. [12] Four Peel Gin is an American style gin that is known for its citrus-forward flavor. It is made of eight botanicals including orange peel, lemon peel, lime peel, grapefruit peel, coriander, allspice, cinnamon and Juniper berry. Four Peel Gin from Watershed Distillery is bottled at 88 proof. [13]

Bourbon Barrel Gin

Bourbon Barrel Gin from Watershed Distillery is a barrel-aged gin the distillery created by aging their Four Peel Gin in spent bourbon barrel for a full year. They released their first batch of this brown gin in 2012 and it has since become one of their most popular products. Bourbon Barrel Gin from Watershed Distillery is bottled at 88 proof. [14]

Bourbon

Bourbon from Watershed Distillery was first released in 2012 [1] and was two years aged at the time. Current Watershed Bourbon available on shelves is three years aged and the distillery's goal is to eventually have a six-year aged bourbon. They utilize a five grain mash bill (corn, wheat, barley, rye and spelt) and age their bourbon in 53-gallon, char 4 barrels. Watershed Bourbon is bottled at 94 proof. [15]

Nocino

Nocino from Watershed Distillery was first launched in late 2014. The distillers learned how to make Nocino from a local physician who wanted to see Nocino produced commercially in the United States. Watershed's Nocino is a 48 proof, black walnut liqueur made from Ohio grown and harvested black walnuts, Watershed Vodka, vanilla bean, orange peel, cloves, cinnamon and sugar. [16]

Bottled Old Fashioned

Watershed Distillery launched a pre-bottled Old Fashioned cocktail in November 2014. High quality, classic craft cocktails seem to be a growing trend in the industry that distillers are pursuing. Watershed's Old Fashioned is a signature blend of bourbon, orange and aromatic bitters, raw sugar and Ohio cherry juice blended and bottled at 70 proof. [17]

Watershed Kitchen & Bar

In late November 2016, Watershed Distillery announced plans to open Watershed Kitchen & Bar. Watershed became the first distillery in Ohio to open a restaurant under the new law that allows distilleries to apply for the A1A or "brewpup" license in Ohio. The Executive Chef for the restaurant is Chef Jack Moore, formerly of Jonathon Sawyer's The Greenhouse Tavern, and the bar program was run by Alex Chien. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bourbon whiskey</span> Type of American whiskey

Bourbon is a type of barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn. The name derives from the French Bourbon dynasty, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County in Kentucky and Bourbon Street in New Orleans, both of which are named after the dynasty. The name bourbon was not applied until the 1850s, and the Kentucky etymology was not advanced until the 1870s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Beam</span> Brand of bourbon whiskey

Jim Beam is an American brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky, by Beam Suntory. It is one of the best-selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795, seven generations of the Beam family have been involved in whiskey production for the company that produces the brand. The brand name became "Jim Beam" in 1943 in honor of James B. Beam, who rebuilt the business after Prohibition ended. Previously produced by the Beam family and later owned by the Fortune Brands holding company, the brand was purchased by Suntory Holdings in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven Hill</span> American distillery company

Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. is a private, American family-owned and operated distillery founded in 1935 and headquartered in Bardstown, Kentucky, that produces and markets the Heaven Hill brand of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a variety of other distilled spirits. Its current distillery facility, called the Heaven Hill Bernheim distillery, is in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the seventh-largest alcohol supplier in the United States, the second-largest holder of bourbon whiskey inventory in the world, the largest, independent, family-owned and operated producer and marketer of distilled spirits in the United States, and the only large family-owned distillery company headquartered in Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nocino</span> Walnut liqueur

Nocino is a dark brown liqueur from the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is made from unripe green walnuts. The walnuts and the liquor are handled using ceramic or wooden tools and placed in an alcoholic base. After steeping in spirit, the walnuts are removed and the alcohol is mixed with simple syrup. Nocino has an aromatic but bittersweet flavor. It may be homemade; villages and even individual families often have their own recipes, including different additions like cinnamon, juniper berries, lemon or orange zest, vanilla pods, coffee beans, or clove. The spices are added lightly, to avoid overpowering the flavour of the walnuts. The classic base consists of pure alcohol but vodka can also be used. Nocino is also available commercially in bottled form. Commercially available nocino is typically 40 percent alcohol by volume, or 80 proof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microdistillery</span>

A microdistillery is a small, often boutique-style distillery established to produce beverage grade spirit alcohol in relatively small quantities, usually done in single batches. While the term is most commonly used in the United States, micro-distilleries have been established in Europe for many years, either as small cognac distilleries supplying the larger cognac houses, or as distilleries of single malt whisky originally produced for the blended Scotch whisky market, but whose products are now sold as niche single malt brands. The more recent development of micro-distilleries can now also be seen in locations as diverse as London, Switzerland, and South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey</span>

Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey is a 94 proof, small batch whiskey distilled in Denver, Colorado. Stranahan's was the first modern microdistillery to legally make whiskey in Colorado, and an early craft whiskey distiller in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sipsmith</span>

Sipsmith is a microdistillery located in London. It is the first copper-pot distillery to open within Greater London' in nearly two centuries. It has been a subsidiary of Beam Suntory since December 2016.

Sacred Spirits is a microdistillery in Highgate, London. It distills its spirits under a vacuum in glassware, and thus at a lower temperature than traditional pot stills, which operate at atmospheric pressure. The microdistillery operates out of the back room of a residential house, with a vacuum plant in a wendy house in the distiller's back garden. It is an authorised Customs and Excise distillery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willett Distillery</span>

Willett Distillery, also known as Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), Ltd., is a private family-owned and -operated company that produces bourbon and rye whiskey. Over the years the company has bottled whiskeys that range from 2 years of aging maturity up to 28 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catoctin Creek Distilling Company</span>

The Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, which operates under the trade name of Catoctin Creek, is the first legal distillery in Loudoun County, Virginia since prohibition. The distillery is a certified organic and kosher microdistillery in Purcellville, Virginia that produces brandy, rye whiskey, and gin from local fruit, organic grain and Virginia wine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sazerac Company</span> Alcoholic drinks company based in New Orleans, US

Sazerac Company, Inc is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by billionaire William Goldring and his family. As of 2017, it operated nine distilleries, had 2,000 employees, and operated in 112 countries. It is one of the two largest spirits companies in the United States, with annual revenue of about $1 billion made from selling about 300 mostly discount brands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Taylor</span>

Old Taylor Bourbon is a brand of straight bourbon whiskey produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Franklin County, Kentucky by the Sazerac Company. It was named in honor of the historic distiller Col. Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr.

Peach Street Distillers is a privately owned, self-proclaimed “artisanal,” professional brewery and distillery in Palisade, Colorado. Established in November 2005 by Rory Donovan with Bill Graham and David Thibodeau, co-founders of Ska Brewing Company in Durango, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pemberton Distillery</span> Distillery in British Columbia, Canada

Pemberton Distillery is a craft distillery located in Pemberton, British Columbia. The Pemberton Valley, which has sometimes been referred to as "Spud Valley", is known in the potato industry for its seed potatoes. Pemberton Distillery uses potatoes to make some of its distilled beverages. Its product brand names include Schramm Vodka, Schramm Gin, Pemberton Distillery Single Malt Whisky and Pemberton Distillery Bourbon Barrel Aged Apple Brandy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wigle Whiskey</span>

Wigle Whiskey is an artisan small batch whiskey distillery in the Strip District neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Wigle Whiskeys are the flagship products of the Pittsburgh Distilling Company, LLC, which is entirely family owned and operated.

Long Island Spirits is a microdistillery in Baiting Hollow, New York. Founded in 2007, it is the first craft distillery on Long Island since the 1800s. Surrounded by 5,000 acres of potato farms, Long Island Spirits is a full farm-to-bottle hand craft distillery operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Distilling</span>

Philadelphia Distilling is a microdistillery founded in March 2005 in the Byberry neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the first craft distillery to open in Pennsylvania since before Prohibition.

Stark Spirits Distillery is an artisan distillery in Pasadena, California, that produces a range of alcoholic beverages under the direction of Head Distiller Greg Stark. The microdistillery is owned by husband and wife, Greg Stark and Karen Robinson-Stark. It is Pasadena's first microdistillery. Stark Spirits is a Certified Craft Distillery, certified by the American Distilling Institute. The Pasadena micro-distillery is known for producing hand crafted small batches of whiskey, rum, gin, and brandy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manatawny Still Works</span>

Manatawny Still Works is a maker of American whiskey, rum, and gin. It is produced in Pottstown, Pennsylvania along the bank of the Manatawny Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tokki Soju</span> American soju brand

Tōkki Soju is a brand of soju founded in Brooklyn, New York in 2016 by master distiller Brandon Hill. The company prides themselves on quality over profit, using expensive ingredients that contribute to taste such as glutinous rice.

References

  1. 1 2 Weese, Evan. "Watershed bourbon ready for Halloween debut", Columbus Business First , Columbus, 17 October 2012. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  2. Eaton, Dan. "Now that it's legal, Columbus distilleries ready to invite customers in for a drink and some food", Columbus Business First , 22 November 2016. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  3. "House Bill 351". The Ohio Legislature. Retrieved 2017-01-27.
  4. Knowlton, Andrew. "The Craft Beer Boom", Bon Appetit , 22 April 2009. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  5. Eaton, Dan. "Watershed Distillery opens to sate thirst for all things Buckeye State", Columbus Business First , 11 March 2011. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  6. McIntosh, Justin. "Ohio Micro-Distilleries: Go Big or Go Home", Columbus Monthly , April 2014. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  7. Eaton, Dan. "Craft brewers, microdistilleries freed up to offer samples, on-site sales", Columbus Business First , 23 December 2011. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  8. Malone, JD. "Watershed Distillery to Quadruple Capacity", The Columbus Dispatch , 08 October 2015. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  9. Husnick, Kelsey. "Columbus micro-distilleries want change in Ohio liquor law", The Columbus Dispatch , 31 May 2015. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  10. Eaton, Dan. "Ohio’s craft distilleries closer to being on par with brewpubs, wineries with food, bars allowed on site", Columbus Business First , 26 May 2016. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  11. Newman, Kara. "Watershed Distillery Vodka", Wine Enthusiast Magazine , 01 July 2011. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  12. Eaton, Dan. "Watershed Distillery renames gin, Middle West launches new vodka flavor", Columbus Business First , 11 November 2011. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  13. Newman, Kara. "Watershed Distillery Four Peel Gin", Wine Enthusiast Magazine , 01 July 2014. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  14. Adimando, Stacy. "It's Brown, It's Barrel-Aged, It's ... Gin?", NPR , 05 December 2014. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  15. Newman, Kara. "Watershed Distillery Bourbon", Wine Enthusiast Magazine , 01 September 2014. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  16. Simonson, Robert. "Nocino, an Italian Walnut Liqueur, Is Also Made in America", The New York Times , 01 December 2015. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  17. Osburn, Christopher. "Just Add Ice: The 7 Best Bottled Cocktails", Men's Journal , November 2016. Retrieved on 29 December 2016.
  18. Edwards, Erin. "Coming Soon: Watershed Kitchen & Bar to Open by February", Columbus Monthly , December 2016. Retrieved on 06 January 2017.

Coordinates: 39°59′31.5″N83°02′13.0″W / 39.992083°N 83.036944°W / 39.992083; -83.036944