When John Vissotzky tells prospective customers that he owns a distillery in Battle Ground, Washington—a city in Clark County with a population of approximately 18,000 residents—the response is usually surprise.
But when he and Steve Vissotzky, his co-owner and brother, envisioned a welcoming space that would attract residents and tourists to the tasting room of Double V Distillery, Battle Ground’s zoning requirements hit the sweet spot.
“We were afraid it would be a downside,” says John Vissotzky. “It’s a very small community and away from where the action is so we thought it was going to be difficult to draw people but we’ve found that Battle Ground is a very tight community. People tend to frequent other businesses in Battle Ground.”
Growth has not only come but exceeded expectations. Vissotzky shared that Double V has tripled production in two years and is on track to at least double its present output in 2016. Another still will join the custom-built, copper reflux CARL as well as other equipment to keep up with the demand. As a two-man operation, Double V has managed to amass more than 250 accounts in two and a half years including restaurants throughout Seattle, and every Total Wine & More and Fred Meyer store in Washington state.
The two work hard to provide local ingredients, mostly from Washington. The corn is certified organic from Othello. Barley is grown in Moses Lake and also certified organic. Scratch and Peck Feeds out of Bellingham are the organic-certified milling and feed-producing operation that Double V uses. The barley malt is the only non-organic ingredient used in the operation. It currently comes from Canada or the Midwest and, moving forward, will come only from the United States, according to Vissotzky. Due to these strict standards, Double V is able to say it is 80 percent organic and 80 percent Washington-grown.
“It’s nice to know that nothing’s been altered or treated with chemicals,” Vissotzky says. “The craft license we have requires 51 percent (of our product) be grown in the State of Washington. If I could do 100 percent, I would. It’s all about community which is why we chose Battle Ground. To me, it’s important.”
Using heavily-charred American white oak barrels ordered out of Kentucky, Double V ages its whiskey and bourbon in barrels procured from the same cooperage used by many of the national distillers. Their commitment to quality paid off in 2014 with a slew of awards, from the New York International Spirits Competition to the Great American Distillers Festival in nearby Portland.
Being the only Clark County distillery has presented unique collaborative opportunities with the growing craft beverage industry. According to Vissotzky, Vancouver’s Heathen Brewing will be using Double V’s first-release whiskey and bourbon barrels to make a barrel-aged stout, while Battle Ground’s Northwood Public House made a gin-based IPA using Double V’s gin recipe and spices. The Vissotzky brothers also partnered with Bader Beer and Wine Supply in Vancouver to provide a two-day basic distilling class and two North County wineries—Moulton Falls Winery and Heisen House Vineyards—approached Double V to distill a varietal for a port-style wine.
On joining the ranks of the wine and beer-focused Northwest, Vissotzky says he finds it all to be very intoxicating. “The Northwest really set the bench in beers and the wineries are comparing with European wineries,” he says. “The scary part is it’s a great industry. It’s a tough business, competition is heavy—that’s the scary aspect—but I look more toward the exciting side.”
Keeping up with the innovation of Northwest producers, Double V’s Griffon Gin uses orange as the citrus instead of lime or lemon, is lighter on the juniper than other brands and the floral component hits elegantly on the nose—but don’t bother asking what it is, Vissotzky’s not telling.
Tending toward a seasonal offering, the Colonel Cobb Apple Pie—an apple and cinnamon-flavored corn whiskey — has all the components of the sweet fall treat. Dirty Dog, a six month-aged corn whiskey that’s part of the Colonel Cobb line, sells out upon release due to its limited quantity and a new batch will be available at the end of January 2016. Look for a straight three year-old barley whiskey in the spring of 2016 and a three year-old bourbon barrel whiskey this fall.
