Just north of Corvallis, Oregon, in a World War II army training hub turned ghost town turned bonafide Oregon city, Camp Adair’s 4 Spirits Distillery handcrafts and bottles a varied collection of whiskey, rum and vodka. From the 4 Spirits headquarters, Dawson Officer wears many hats. He’s the mastermind, the owner, the head distiller and the guy who calls the shots on both the business and production side — of course, all with the support of his team and a community thirsty for top-notch Oregon spirits and cocktails.
Officer, who formerly served a full tour in Iraq, named the distillery in memory of four fellow soldiers. 4 Spirits has since become both a local craft beverage favorite and an ongoing tribute to veterans and active service members.
As the distillery continues to expand its scope and its offerings, Officer remains grounded with a regular helping of the label’s own bourbon and a healthy sense of humor. Look for him at 4 Spirits’ soon-to-be new distillery location in South Corvallis, and in the meantime, join us as we sit down and catch up in the midst of the year-end rush (complete with Spiced Rum out the wazoo!).
1) Which of your own current offerings are you digging the most?
Personally, I am really digging our Single Malt and Dark Rum. Oh yeah, and the Spiced Rum! The Single Malt has an amazing ride of different flavors that unveil themselves with fruit, earthy grain and deep oak. It’s truly a unique Single Malt compared to others in the genre. Our 4 Spirits Rum Collection also has so much to offer that is interesting and different, they are much more robust, deep character rums. The Dark is aged in new oak instead of used bourbon barrels, which really changes things up. It’s not syrupy or sweetened, just pure aged Rum. The Spiced Rum is probably our fastest growing in popularity because it is nothing like the big brand spiced rums out there. We do something completely different by using whole organic spices and the best molasses one can buy. We are constantly running out as it takes some time to infuse the small batch sizes. When customers are requesting it faster than we can make it, I suppose that’s a good thing.
2) Any distilling pipe dreams you’re dying to make a reality?
One that we’ve been working on for quite some time is actually happening. We are finally getting a new still this year, which will double our current capacity and bring on many new adventures. We’ll also have the big move into a brand new facility in South Corvallis here soon. We’re so excited to be creating an awesome atmosphere to offer full cocktails with limited, but amazing food choices. It will definitely be a good place for groups to gather for special occasions, which will add to the great energy and has definitely been a pipe dream until now. So basically, we’re in the middle of turning a big dream into something real!
3) What non-spirits beverage is in your glass most these days? What is your favorite way to enjoy it and where?
You mean like sarsaparillas in a park? I don’t have too many these days, especially during the building of this new distillery facility. I mainly gravitate towards our bourbon, which hits the spot after a long day of construction.
4) Favorite song, album or artist to jam out to while throwing a few down the hatch?
Mariah Carey, of course! No, I’m a classic rock fan but my song selection, as diverse as it is, would probably surprise even my closest friends. I’ll leave this one mysterious.
