Acclaimed Washington Wine Brand Opens Doors to Browne Family Spirits in Eastern Washington

Published
01/19/2023 by

Browne Family Vineyards, one of the leading producers of premium Washington State wine, opened its doors to Browne Family Spirits in Spokane, Washington on Friday, December 2. Guests can enjoy daily spirits flights, spirits by the pour, cocktails, and light bites. Bottles of the locally sourced, limited-edition spirits are available for purchase with prices ranging between $40 and $90.

The Browne Family Spirits collection includes the Monogram Collection, First Look Reserve Collection and The Lab Series Collection which offer a range of styles for a variety of tastes.

  • First Look Reserve Collection: The First Look Reserve Collection forms the core offering and features a reserve bourbon, rye whiskey, and single malt.
  • Monogram Collection: Aged locally for a minimum of four years, these Browne Family Spirits include a cask strength rye and bourbon along with a bourbon aged in French Oak Cabernet barrels from Browne Family Vineyards. Spirits exclusive to the Browne Family Spirits tasting room are Gigi's Garden Gin, inspired by Pacific Northwest Botanicals, and the light and crisp Andy's Farm-Crafted Vodka.
  • Lab Series: These products were born out of a collaboration between Andrew Browne and master distiller Aaron Kleinhelter and will include a seasonal offering of flavored bourbons such as vanilla bean and warm spice.

Additional product offerings include hand-crafted, small-batch, and locally sourced bitters made by Kleinhelter. Aromatics, Orange Spice and Lavender bitters are available to further elevate the unique flavor profile of Browne's spirit collection.

Browne Family Spirits prides itself in sourcing ingredients for its spirits throughout Washington State. Walla, including sourcing water from the local Spokane Valley Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer to use in the distilling process. The aquifer provides fresh glacier water and is held to some of the highest standards for drinking water in the United States. Browne's rye, wheat and corn are sourced and milled in nearby Colfax and Ritzville, while the malted rye is sourced from Country Malt, located just down the road from the distillery. Once the alcohol is removed from the fermented mash, the remaining spent grains are distributed to Spokanite farmers to feed their livestock, a similar relationship Browne Family Vineyards shares by providing grape lees to William's Organic Farm in Walla Walla.

Since its inception in 2005, Browne Family Vineyards wines have been met with high acclaim, receiving more than 100 scores of 90 points or higher which can be attributed to high quality, estate-grown fruit and state-of-the-art production, as well as Andrew's strong bond with his lead winemaker, John Freeman. Browne Family Spirits was forged on Andrew's similar connection to master distiller Aaron Kleinhelter.

Aaron is a born and raised Kentuckian who learned his craft in the heart of bourbon country and insists on only the finest quality ingredients and proven production methods. "Aaron perfected his skills just two miles from the Jim Beam distillery making small-batch, high-end and authentic spirits," said Browne. "My family and I are grateful to have someone with such deep roots leading our charge into spirits in my hometown of Spokane."

"The success of Browne Family Vineyards in Washington and beyond has positioned themselves as a beacon of quality and creativity within the wine industry," said Aaron Kleinhelter, Master Distiller, Browne Family Spirits. "I value this opportunity to showcase my Kentucky roots and knowledge of spirits to produce some of the best and most unique spirits that the Pacific Northwest has seen. Like whiskey, we will only improve with age." 

Washington state residents are encouraged to sign up for the Browne Family Spirits Club to receive four shipments of up to four bottles, annually. In addition, club members will receive invitations to exclusive events, barrel tastings and distillery tours, as well as buy one, get one free flights and other discounts at the Browne Spirits Distillery and Browne Family Vineyards tasting rooms. Residents of Washington state can also purchase bottles from the collection on the Browne Family Vineyards website.

Browne Family Spirits Tasting Room and Distillery
714 N Lee Street
Spokane, WA