The Closure of District Made Spirits: A Loss for the Craft Community

Washington, DC-based craft distillery, One Eight Distilling has announced its closure. One Eight Distilling is the producer of District Made Spirits. Alex Laufer, Co-Founder and CEO of One Eight Distilling, previously appeared on Episode 227 of Bourbon Lens podcast to tell the story of the distillery and their journey. Alex and his co-founder Sandy Wood released the following statement via the company’s Facebook page today:

With a heavy heart, we must announce the closure of District Made Spirits by One Eight Distilling. We had hoped to secure investment or new ownership, but could not. We are extremely proud of what we built and the award-winning spirits we crafted. We began this journey 11 years ago and have been thrilled to be a part of the District’s craft community.

We wish to thank those who came before us, especially New Columbia Distillers, who opened the door for distilling in Washington DC. Thanks to our mentors, Smooth Ambler and Koval in particular, for helping us to get our production off the ground and for your sage advice. Thanks to all the amazing consultants and designers who helped us to tell our story.

Thanks to all of our team members, who we were proud to have as colleagues. You all brought your experience, creativity, blood, sweat, and tears to make us a better company. Thanks to the liquor store staff, barkeeps, and mixologists who worked with us to grow our brand. Shoutout to those who patiently tested with us in the early days, and to those who picked barrels or designed bespoke gins with us. Thanks to the writers, podcast hosts, and reviewers who tasted our spirits, provided us with feedback, praised us, and awarded our spirits.

Our thanks to the amazing makers, craftspeople, and artisans we had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with. Thanks to Riverbend Malt House, Vint and Pepsi at Land’s End Farm, Craig at Fairview Cattle & Grain, and CJ at Keenbell Farm. We always strove to respect the local grains you so passionately grew, and to transform them into our spirits. Lastly, thanks to you, our customers. Thank you for your patronage at your local shops, bars, restaurants, and of course, the many thousands of you who were able to spend some time with us in Ivy City. We built a safe, fun, welcoming space for all, and loved hosting your get-togethers, distillery-crawl visits, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other milestones.

In addition to our award-winning spirits, we’re proud to have earned the Slow Food’s Snail of Approval and the D .C. DOEE Sustainable Business Award for our practices. We’re gratified to have been able to giveback to the community, supporting Miriam’s Kitchen, D.C. Central Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, Humane Rescue Alliance, and the Special Olympics, amongst many other causes.

Our deepest gratitude to all who have been a part of this trip. If you would like to enjoy our spirits a bit longer, we will continue to be available until March 31. We’re here for you for retail by appointment on-site, please email info@districtmadespirits.com or DM us. Our distribution continues through Breakthru Beverage in D.C. and Maryland, so your favorite liquor store, bar, and restaurant may still put us on the shelf. If you aren’t in the area, we will continue our online (shipping) retail through our website, www.DistrictMadeSpirits.com.

Cheers, Sandy & Alex

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