Distilled in Washington: A History, a Top Ten Spirited Nominee from the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, explores the Evergreen State’s journey with liquor—from early settlement through today’s craft distilling boom.
Washington’s relationship with alcohol has long been complicated. Efforts to ban or restrict it date back to 1854, before statehood, and blue laws lingered well into the twentieth century. Along the way came legends, outlaws, and entrepreneurs who shaped an industry once seen as illicit and unsavory, now a multimillion-dollar craft spirits movement. From Jimmie Durkin, the enterprising saloon owner, to Roy Olmstead, the Seattle police officer turned gentleman bootlegger, liquor has sparked both conflict and creativity.
Author and journalist Becky Garrison traces this spirited history, following the barrel and the bottle across Washington’s past and present.
About the Author Becky Garrison is a satirist and storyteller. Since moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2014, she has been covering the PNW craft culture, including food, beer, wine, spirits, cider, coffee and cannabis/CBD, as well as the regional festival scene and the rise of secular spiritual communities. Follow her travels via Instagram @Becky_Garrison or Facebook at BeckyGarrisonWriter.
