227: Crafting Whiskey in Washington with District Made Spirits

We’re joined by Alex Laufer, Co-Founder and CEO of District Made Spirits in Washington D.C.  Alex and his small distillery team are focused on creating unique spirits which leverage premium and equally unique heirloom grain Mashbills.  

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Scott and Jake
Bourbon Lens

 

 

 

About Alex Laufer:

Before Alex Laufer became the Co-Founder and CEO of District Made Spirits, he worked in biotechnology for seventeen years. Alex's background in science and love of cooking with local ingredients combined to form the genesis of his passion for distilling. His fixation with good food & drink led him to explore the flavors of every region he's called home, San Francisco, New York, and now the Mid-Atlantic. Alex lives in Silver Spring, MD, with his wife, two sons, and their golden retriever Modi.

About District Made Spirits:

More than the nation's capital, Washington DC, is the spirit of a region where cultural diversity and sustainability meet forward thinkers, artists, urban warriors, and creators. Distilling with determination, District Made embodies the spirit of this legendary city, crafting adventurous rye-forward spirits true to the values and terroir of the Mid-Atlantic.

Founders Sandy Wood and Alex Laufer left their established careers to open a distillery, believing in the heirloom grains of the region, the neighborhood of Ivy City, and each other. They discovered that the risk had paid off after tasting the toasty honeyed spice box flavors in those first batches of spirits made from Abruzzi and malted rye. Today, they bring together agriculture partners, cooperages, small business owners, and community members to showcase the very best of the region.

Every bottle of whiskey, vodka, or gin we make features our signature flavor and unparalleled taste known as the Heart of Rye. Smooth enough for sipping and strong enough to hold up the most ambitious cocktails, each proud pour represents the legacy of the land in a meeting place where finding what you're made of all comes with the territory. 

District Made Spirits are distributed by Breakthru Beverage in Washington, DC, Maryland, Delaware, and Momentum in Illinois. They can be purchased online at www.districtmadespirits.com/shop.

Delicious spirits from locally-sourced heirloom grains are handcrafted in Washington, DC by the distillery District Made Spirits, formerly known as One Eight Distilling since 2015. With an updated look and new website, the portfolio includes the Core Spirits Series (vodka, gin, barrel-rested gin, bourbon, and rye) and the experimental small-batch District Made Untitled Series. 

ABOUT THE CORE SPIRITS SERIES – Rye-forward, locally-sourced grains for the signature spice box flavor profile

District Made STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY 

(94 Proof; 57% Abruzzi Rye, 14% Corn, 29% Malted Rye)
District Made Straight Rye Whiskey puts a spin on classic Maryland-style rye while honoring its agricultural history in the region. Our mash bill highlights a large portion of heirloom malted rye, bringing darker honeyed notes of toast to the flavor in our signature style. Sweet hints of rock candy, cherry cola, and spicy cinnamon balance a nuanced spirit.

District Made STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY 

(95 Proof; 58% Hickory King Corn, 16% Abruzzi Rye, 8% Hard Red Winter Wheat, 12% Malted Rye, 6% Malted Barley)
District Made Straight Bourbon Whiskey, aged at least four years, showcases Hickory King Corn, grown in the hollows of Virginia since the 1880s. To create our signature style, we distill this heirloom grain in two different mashbills, one wheated and one high-rye, age them individually, then marry a few barrels together. The result is a drier, richly textured four-grain spirit proudly poured.

ANNUAL RELEASE 2023 BOTTLED IN BOND (BOURBON)
The first consumer law created was the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 to guarantee the authenticity of a whiskey with a series of requirements that included only whiskey made from one distillery in one distillation season, aged at least four years in bonded warehouses, and bottled at 100 proof. District Made Bottled in Bond Bourbon honors this designation and the region.