Oregon Spirit Distillers: Making Spirits Bright because, as they say, “Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting.” COID is an amazing irrigation district with a knowledgeable staff that is personally invested in doing the right thing for the basin as a whole. There are many things we can’t control when it comes to water, and it breeds contention. When the opportunity to take an operations position at the distillery came up, I decided that I was ready for something a bit more positive. Irrigation Leader: Please introduce Oregon Spirit Distillers.
Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about your background in water and how you came to be in your current position.
Irrigation Leader: Why is water quality important in making whiskey?
Shon Rae: I was the assistant manager of COID, where I primarily managed internal operations. Water in the Deschutes basin is shared among eight irrigation districts, municipal needs, and the river ecosystem. Most of the irrigation infrastructure is over 100 years old, and we are still using the ancient technology of gravity and weirs to deliver our precious water resource. As climate changes and water becomes scarcer, the need for modernization has become paramount. Modernization is extremely expensive, and there are differing views on how it should happen. All these elements feed a very contentious industry. I left
Shon Rae: Part of making whiskey is adding water to a mixture made of grain that is called a mash. The mash is boiled, fermented, and run through a still. Obviously, water is a part of the entire process. After the water is separated from the alcohol and the alcohol is distilled, the alcohol sits in a barrel for a minimum of 4 years. Then, it must be proofed down by adding water. Adding poor-quality water would affect the taste of the of the spirit. Central Oregon has exceptional water—it’s clean and clear, and we drink it straight from the tap. That happens to make our whiskey pretty darn good. In addition, all our grains are sourced from
Oregon Spirit Distillers’ straight American Bourbon whiskey.
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46 | IRRIGATION LEADER | May 2022
irrigationleadermagazine.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF OREGON SPIRIT DISTILLERS.
hy did Shon Rae make a career change from an irrigation district to a whiskey maker? Because, as they say, “Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting.” While the former assistant manager of the Central Oregon Irrigation District (COID) now works in operations at Oregon Spirit Distillers, water still plays a key role in her work as an ingredient and input.
Shon Rae: Oregon Spirit Distillers, founded in 2009, was born out of owner Brad Irwin’s passion for distilling and his interest in different styles of whiskey and what makes each of them different. Today, our distillers are motivated by the same thing. We are located in Bend, Oregon, where local craft businesses are booming. We take our craft seriously and aim to bring you the best spirits of their kind. With one of the largest whiskey-barrel inventories in the state of Oregon, we are known for our award-winning whiskey, which is made from local and regionally sourced grain and pure Cascadian water. As we continue to grow outside the state of Oregon, we are committed to Oregon agriculture and the Oregon spirit. Oregon Spirit Distillers stands for integrity in all that we do. From hands-on production methods to onsite distillation and aging and beautiful packaging, we stand behind our family of craft spirits 100 percent. Since the company started, we have used over 3 million pounds of locally grown agriculture to make more than 3,500 barrels of American whiskey, a value-added agricultural product. That translates to almost 175,000 cases of whiskey alone. In addition, we’ve seen nearly equal success with our dry gin, absinthe, and vodka. Our distribution footprint has grown to 29 states as of this year. It makes us proud to share Oregon-made products with the rest of the country.
