Doc Swinson’s award-winning whiskies and Outfitters spirits are a liquid representation of imagination
The U.S. alcohol industry has had a rough couple of years. Declining consumption (a Gallup study last year had only 54% of U.S. adults consuming alcohol, the smallest amount since they began drink polling in 1939) combined with tariff issues driving double-digit decline in exports to key markets has distilleries big and small closing or reducing production. But the Ferndale, Washington, based bourbon and rye blender Doc Swinson’s is growing, as is their sibling brand Outfitters. This success will be celebrated at Northwest Tune-Up Bike and Music Festival in Bellingham, Washington, on July 11-12, where Doc Swinson’s is the official whiskey, as well as the presenter of the mainstage’s opening act, thanks to the Doc Swinson’s Opening Act Contest. But that success begs a question – how are they doing it in such a tough environment?
It’s best to begin the story at Distiller’s Way, a company started as a custom spirits house in Ferndale, Washington, that specializes in developing products for other brands. One day, as Joe Mattson, Distiller’s Way chief marketing officer told us, the company was given an opportunity to acquire a small collection of whiskey barrels. The team, led by Master Blender Jesse Parker (a curious person himself who made his own root beer as a kid and crafted his own gin before being able to drink legally) began experimenting with the whiskey in the barrels, trying different blends and finishes. This experimenting evolved into Doc Swinson’s, “a secret side project that kept our creative fires burning,” says Mattson.
The first Doc Swinson’s release was a hit with whiskey lovers. That curious nature led to more releases. Doc Swinson’s whiskeys have now won over 100 awards and are available in 20 states. They currently have “a core list of year-round Doc Swinson’s expressions along with our Exploratory Collection of limited-time-offerings,” says Mattson, “that continue to explore different traditions and approaches and experiment with new casks, barrels and blends.”
It’s good to remember that Doc Swinson’s is a blender, maturer and finisher; not a distillery. This means they work with trusted distillers to source bourbon and rye bases. Then they take what Mattson calls “a chef’s approach rather than a rancher’s approach.” Like a chef who doesn’t raise the cattle but turns outstanding beef into high-end dishes, they bring in base whiskey from others, then blend and finish it in casks sourced worldwide. “This gives us the flexibility and freedom to focus on selecting outstanding base whiskeys, then finishing and blending with curiosity and flair, which is our expertise,” says Mattson.
Since that first Doc Swinson’s release, the brand has also gained a sibling: Outfitters. Like Doc’s, they don’t distill Outfitters, but rather source the spirits. Currently gin, vodka and rum are brought to Distiller’s Way. There, they work their blending magic.
Outfitters began with the question of how to bring better well spirits to bars — the “well” being the spirits used by bartenders to make cocktails when a specific brand isn’t called out. Bartenders up and down the West Coast have taken notice, with Outfitters tending to beat other wells in blind taste tests. This is another example of the team’s particular curiosity delivering high-quality spirits.
But how does that curiosity equal success in today’s tough market? Mattson believes, and I agree, that when people do make “the choice to spend their hard-earned (and increasingly limited) disposable income on alcohol, they want some value in return. That’s a good thing for both Doc Swinson’s and Outfitters.” Interestingly, the value proposition is different for each sippable sibling.
For Doc Swinson’s, it’s the uniqueness of the whiskey, that “curiosity in a bottle,” as Mattson puts it. When you order a Doc Swinson’s whiskey or bring a bottle home, you’re getting a singular high-quality whiskey experience, a memorable one, something you can tell friends about in person or on socials. Taking a sip that’s delicious while delivering a “sense of discovery” provides another level of value for drinkers, and for bartenders who enjoy introducing patrons to truly new tipples. Individuality in a bottle is paying off, as Doc’s sales volume is up 33% over 2025; it is one of the few premium whiskies increasing sales.
Outfitters travels a different path. As Mattson says, people are “feeling more and more financially strained as this year goes on, and that means when people choose to drink, they want to stretch their dollar.” That means skipping premium back bar brands and heading to the well. Having quality well spirits is a boon for customers, and for bartenders. “Giving bartenders the ability to be highly profitable while pouring a drink with integrity and helping guests stretch their dollar a bit farther has been a recipe for success,” says Mattson. Outfitters is already seeing a 150% increase in sales volume over 2025. And now they’re launching Outfitters in grocery and liquor stores to give home bartenders the ability to, as Mattson says, “pour like a pro.”
All this success while maintaining a high standard of scrumptiousness is certainly something to be celebrated. Which they’ll be doing as the official whiskey of Northwest Tune-Up. Their second year with the festival, this time they wanted to connect directly with the idea of music discovery. After all, curious people love discovering new bands and artists. So, they created The Doc Swinson’s Opening Act Contest.
The contest picks the artist who gets to open the festival. They started with nearly 200 Washington-based musical acts, narrowing it to five fan-voted finalists who played a live showcase, with one winner, Henry Mansfield, emerging. Beyond playing the opening set, Mansfield will play a private show at Doc Swinson’s tasting room, The Barrel Lab, later this summer (best to follow socials to not miss out). Northwest Tune-Up, Mattson says, “blends mountain bike culture with music, so it was already a great fit for a brand that is all about blending flavors and traditions.”
Sounds pretty tasty to me — much like Doc Swinson’s and Outfitters spirits. They’re making it a perfect time to be a curious drinker.
Drink Curious with Doc
The list of Doc Swinson’s whiskies walks two roads. First are the year-round expressions: Session Bourbon, Triple Cask Bourbon and Bottled-in-Bond Rye. Next, the Exploratory Collection, is as Mattson says, “an ever-expanding library of limited-time offerings that are highly awarded, much-anticipated and sought after.”
It’s impossible not to be intrigued by both categories, thanks to imaginative blending and maturation choices. It can also be hard to know where to start. To help out, we’re highlighting four below. While these are outstanding solo sippers, they make outstanding cocktails. We’ve got a suggested one for each.
Session Bourbon
$40 | 750ml
Part of their year-round offerings, Session blends bourbons at least 5-years-old, and goes down awfully smoothly. The nose mingles grain, vanilla bean and apple, while the taste surfaces more of the same, plus fresh corn, oak, allspice and an intriguing smidge of cherry tang. Crafted with cocktailing in mind, it plays with others nicely, as demonstrated in the Le Freak. This was created by awesome and amiable bartender Claire Jackson at Radiator Whiskey, in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. Jackson suggests trying Session bourbon with Radiator’s house pickleback, a perfect pairing you’ll find on their happy hour menu.
INGREDIENTS
1 ounce Doc Swinson’s Session bourbon whiskey
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ ounce Strega
¾ ounce Benedictine
2 dashes Scrappy’s celery bitters
Lemon twist, for garnish
Ice
DIRECTIONS
Fill a cocktail shaker three-quarters full of ice cubes. Add all the players. Shake well. Strain through a fine strainer into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the lemon twist.
Funky Drummer
$100 | 750ml
This limited-edition rye (it’s part of the Exploratory Collection) is the 2025 Sip Best of the Northwest Spirits platinum winner. It is both a must for rye aficionados as well as for those who enjoy rum and desire a truly distinctive whiskey. Its catchy personality comes from a blended duo of 8- and 11-year-old ryes finished in high-ester Jamaican rum casks. That mix provides an eating-pastries-on-the-beach nose, which leads to more rye spices, molasses and hints of grilled tropical fruits in taste. It’s whiskey you’ll want to dance with again and again. If cocktailing, try it in a Black Manhattan.
INGREDIENTS
2 ounces Funky Drummer
1 ounce Averna amaro
1 dash Scrappy’s aromatic bitters
1 dash Regan’s orange bitters
Luxardo cherry, for garnish
Cracked ice
DIRECTIONS
Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker halfway full with cracked ice. Add the whiskey, Averna and bitters. Stir well. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherry.
Triple Cask bourbon
$70 | 750ml
Winning gold in the recent Sip awards, this is an unforgettable bourbon — one that took some time, as the Doc team experimented for years before deciding on a trio of finishing casks:
Olorosso Sherry, Pedro Ximenez Sherry and Cognac. Those instill very individual flavor accents in a wonderful way that doesn’t detract from the core bourbon personality. Think depth on the nose with roasted nuts, cherry jam and vanilla, followed by a taste of toasted almond, baked fruit tarts, cinnamon, brown sugar and oak. The finish lingers in a way that tempts into repeated sips. A bourbon this artistic needs a drink to match, so try it in the Artist’s Special.
INGREDIENTS
2 ounces Triple Cask bourbon
1½ ounces dry Oloroso sherry (see note below)
½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ ounce house-made grenadine (recipe below)
Ice cubes
DIRECTIONS
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add everything. Shake well. Strain through a fine strainer into a cocktail glass. If you must have a garnish, a lemon twist will work.
Note: You can go down to an ounce or ¾ ounce on the sherry here, if you feel it’s too avant garde. Also, be sure to use a good sherry — Lustau Don Nuño is a dandy choice, for example.
House-Made Grenadine
Best to make your own grenadine if possible. It’s easy.
INGREDIENTS
4 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 pint fresh raspberries
4 cups sugar
½ ounce orange flower water (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Add the unsweetened pomegranate juice and fresh raspberries to a large saucepan. Over medium high heat, cook for 15 minutes. Let the mixture stay at a steady boil, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes longer, reducing the heat if needed to prevent burning. Slowly stir in sugar, stirring continuously. When the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat and stir in ½ ounce orange flower water, if using. Let cool and strain into bottles. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Golden Hour
$100 | 750ml
Even though it’s part of the 2025 Exploratory Collection, you can still find this rye finished in rum and decades-old port casks. If you have to spend a little time looking, it’s a treasure hunt well-worth taking, as this is one delicious whiskey. There’s dried dates, cinnamon, molasses and ripe plums on the nose, and even more in the flavor, mirroring the nose plus fruit crumble, banana bread, walnut and some friendly black pepper. The finish is peppery, but with that port fruitiness, too. Keep it simple when mixing with this charmer. An Old Fashioned, for example.
INGREDIENTS
2½ ounces Golden Hour
1 sugar cube (or 1 teaspoon granulate sugar)
2 dashes Scrappy’s black lemon bitters
1 giant or a few good-size ice cubes
Lemon twist, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Put the sugar in an Old Fashioned glass. Add the bitters and muddle well. Place your giant ice cube (or a couple slightly smaller) in the glass. Add the rye, slowly, reverently. Stir briefly and carefully. Garnish with the twist — you could also try an orange twist, here. I enjoy either.also try an orange twist, here. I enjoy either.
