The Master Class of Handcrafted Spirits golden beaver distillery WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN | PHOTOS BY DIANE NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY & COURTESY GOLDEN BEAVER DISTILLERY
Now, about that name. Initially, Golden Beaver Distillery came about when owner Kris Koenig and his wife, Marianne, drove through Saratoga, Wyoming and discovered Beaver Liquor, home of the “best dam prices around.” After musing on what a great name it would be for whiskey, the Koenigs continued on their trip. Not surprisingly, the name stuck in the back of Kris’s mind and fully germinated some time later when the idea of distilling spirits became a reality. Having an interest in the outdoors, animal life, and the preservation of the environment, the Koenigs eventually chose the North American Golden Beaver as a fitting representation of their business. Their website explains—“Golden Beavers once filled the rivers, streams, and wetlands of
Northern California until the 1840’s when over-trapping led to their extinction. The beavers' demise affected the annual Pacific salmon runs and reduced the creation of wetlands used by migratory waterfowl of the Pacific Flyway.” Subsequently, the Golden Beaver Distillery is committed to preserving the native habitat of the beaver, and a portion of their revenue goes to the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center Water Institute located in Sonoma County. The center has been working for two decades to preserve beaver habitat in California.
lead to a more environmentally friendly and responsible company. The entire green concept is taken under consideration in the production of their spirits at the facility just off Cohasset Road. All the water used, that is not put into their products, is recycled. The water that cleans the equipment is sent to help hydrate animals at their local suppliers’ farms, and the spent mash goes to the farm as feed for livestock. The distillery uses clean burning propane instead of natural gas, which is a greenhouse gas proven harmful to the environment.
Golden Beaver Distillery not only helps fund important projects such as the Occidental Ecology Center, they also take local ecology passionately and are wholly committed to pursuing knowledge and practices that can
The Koenigs also believe in creating a product that leaves the smallest carbon footprint possible. This common goal is shared by founding partners Tom Koenig, Frank and Kasia Lewis, and Kris and 39
