Of the nearly 700 hundred craft distilleries nationwide,113 have opened their doors in Washington State since 2008, when state law changed to allow distilleries (Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, October 2015).  According to the Washington Distillers Guild, this is the largest number of distilleries of any state in the country dedicated to producing spirits for retail sale.  The American Craft Spirit Association reports an increase in craft distilleries nationwide from 50 to 769 during the past decade.  On the demand side of the equation, a 30 percent increase in whiskey sales during the last decade was reported by CBS news during their May 3, 2013 broadcast on the U.S. Craft Spirits industry.  Business is booming.
Once again, Washington’s farmers play an important role in providing the specialty grains associated with the craft distilling movement.  The farm to glass esthetic is easily satisfied given this ideal location and agricultural legacy.