Northwest Spirits

A Brief Overview of the Distillery

Northwest Spirits in Woodinville combines a family legacy from Seattle bars with modern barrel craftsmanship. They produce Savor Spear® bourbons, a London Dry gin, and a six-times distilled vodka, and run a Tasting Lab & Cocktail Bar where bottles can be purchased and new cocktail ideas tested.

History

The history traces its roots to the family's old Seattle saloon, where Great-Uncle Jake O’Shaughnessy in August 1904 began experimenting with oak staves to impart character to spirits. The generational link is carried forward through Merrisa Firnstahl‑Claridge and her father, who revived the tradition of using oak staves — 'savor spears' — in finished casks. The family has run bars and restaurants in Seattle for decades, and this experience is the foundation for Northwest Spirits, transforming bar craft into bottles. In recent times, the brand has won regional awards and recognitions for its bourbons, including both North American and regional awards.

Raw Materials and Production

Production at Northwest Spirits combines classic bourbon mashbills with local craft techniques. Several of their bourbons use corn/rye/malt mashbills (e.g., 36/4/60 and 21/4/75), and Single Barrel editions are selected by a Master Blender. A central technique is finishing or infusing with toasted oak staves (the producer's 'savor spears'), which are added or used as stave finishes in aged casks to build extra oak character. The vodka is distilled six times from non-GMO corn to achieve a very clean base, and the gin is formulated as a juniper-forward London Dry with pronounced citrus notes. Their Tasting Lab serves as an experimental space where cocktail recipes and flavor combinations are tested in parallel with spirit production.

Maturation and Barrel Types

Maturation is centered on American oak: standard bourbons are aged in American oak barrels and in high-char American White Oak for their four-year releases. Several products are finished with toasted oak staves to add extra sweetness and spicy oak notes. Single Barrel bottles are hand-picked and often receive only a short stave finish, and the producer notes special aging periods for selected bottles, including an award-winning Single Barrel described as eight years.

Whiskeys

The range spans from everyday bourbon to limited editions: Savor Spear® American Classic Bourbon (four years), Proprietor’s Reserve (bottle‑blend, about five years), Single Barrel Select (hand-picked barrels, 5+ years / 8 years for the prize bottle) and a limited 10 Year High Rye Bourbon. In addition, Savor Spear® Gin (London Dry style) and Savor Spear® Vodka (six times distilled from non-GMO corn). The products are sold both online and directly in the Tasting Room & Cocktail Bar in Woodinville.

Whiskey	Type / Series	Age	Barrel and Style	Flavor Profile	Status
Savor Spear® 10 Year High Rye Bourbon	Bourbon	10 years	American oak barrels	High-rye mash bill (36% rye) aged 10 years, described as a spicy, spice-forward bourbon bottled at 105° proof. Limited release available while stocks last.	Limited; Limited / webshop and Tasting Room
Savor Spear® American Classic Bourbon	Bourbon	4 years	High-charred American White Oak; finish: Finished with toasted oak staves	Four-year-old straight bourbon, marketed as a versatile everyday bourbon, finished with toasted oak staves by the Master Distiller. Award-winning in competitions and available for sale in the tasting room.; Nose: Waffle cone confection, sweet corn, spiced honey; Taste: Vanilla bean, theater buttered popcorn; Finish: Smooth, creamy finish	Current; Core range; Webshop and Tasting Room
Savor Spear® Proprietor’s Reserve	Bourbon (blend of straight bourbons)	5 years	American oak barrels; finish: Elevated with toasted oak staves	Flagship blend comprised of straight bourbons aged around five years with toasted oak stave-finish. Highlighted by the producer as award-winning, suitable for neat or in classic cocktails.; Nose: Complex, toasted caramel, smoky, dried fruit; Taste: Sweet vanilla bean, caramelized sugars, butterscotch, raw honey; Finish: Exceptionally smooth finish	Current; Core range; Webshop and Tasting Room
Savor Spear® Single Barrel Select	Single Barrel Bourbon	5+ years (prize bottle described as 8 years)	Single barrel (American oak); finish: Short finish with American Oak staves	Single barrel expression selected by the Master Blender, typically over five years of aging, with a short stave finish. Has received regional awards and is described as 'Best Bourbon in the Northwest' in a Platinum accolade.	Current; Core range; Webshop and Tasting Room
Savor Spear® Gin	Gin (London Dry)			London Dry-style, juniper-forward gin with pronounced citrus notes (lemon zest, grapefruit). Highlighted as an all-round cocktail gin.; Nose: Pine, lemon zest, citrus; Taste: Juniper berries, coriander, angelica root, licorice, grapefruit; Finish: Dry, crisp, bittersweet finish	Current; Core range; Webshop and Tasting Room
Savor Spear® Vodka	Vodka			Vodka distilled six times from non-GMO corn, described as ultra-smooth and suitable for classic cocktails.; Nose: Cracked peppercorn; Taste: Crisp citrus, clean savor; Finish: Ultra smooth, creamy mouthfeel	Current; Core range; Webshop and Tasting Room (sold in the tasting room)

The Whiskeys' Style and Flavor Profile

The overall flavor profile spans three directions: sweetness from vanilla and caramel, a spicy rye character, and citrus elements from the gin’s botanical profile. The bourbons frequently mention vanilla, caramel, and dried fruits; high-rye and single barrel editions point to spicy, warm notes; gin and some spirit descriptions highlight lemon zest, grapefruit, and pine-like notes. These three elements recur across the product line and define the Savor Spear® style.

Visit the Distillery

Tasting Lab & Cocktail Bar is centrally located in Woodinville and serves as both a cocktail bar and a retail hub for Savor Spear® bottles. The address is 15029 Redmond‑Woodinville Rd NE, Suite 400, Woodinville, WA 98072. Hours are Wed–Thu 16:00–21:00, Fri–Sat 14:00–21:00 and Sun 14:00–19:00. The venue advertises happy hour periods and notes that selected products can also be purchased in the tasting room. The Tasting Lab also serves as an innovation space where cocktails and recipes are tested and developed.

The stated opening hours are Wed–Thu: 16:00–21:00; Fri–Sat: 14:00–21:00; Sun: 14:00–19:00. Happy Hour: Wed–Sat opening–18:00, Sun all day.

Philosophy and Craft

Northwest Spirits builds on family history and a concrete working method: translating the bar experience to the bottle. The company emphasizes its woman-owned status, the legacy from Jake O’Shaughnessy’s saloon, and repeated use of oak staves ('savor spears') as a central technique. At the same time, innovation is driven via a Tasting Lab, where cocktail concepts and flavor experiments are tested, creating a tight link between bar craft and spirit production.

Awards and Recognitions

Platinum – Best Bourbon in the Northwest (2024, Platinum, Savor Spear® Single Barrel Select)
Double Gold & Straight Bourbon of the Year (2024, Double Gold / Straight Bourbon of the Year, Savor Spear® American Classic Bourbon)
Silver (Vodka) (2024, Silver, Savor Spear® Vodka)
Bronze (Gin) (2024, Bronze, Savor Spear® Gin)
Best in Show – Grand Prize (2023, Best in Show / Grand Prize, Savor Spear® Proprietor’s Reserve)

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Northwest Spirits Shines at the 2024 Bartender Spirits Awards – 2024-06-24

Northwest Spirits won several awards at the Bartender Spirits Awards 2024: Savor Spear® American Classic Bourbon earned Double Gold and 'Straight Bourbon of the Year', the vodka won Silver and the gin Bronze. The competition assesses mixability, food pairing and value.

Northwest Spirits Takes Platinum: Best Bourbon in the Northwest! – 2024-12-16

Savor Spear® Single Barrel Select was awarded Platinum and named 'Best Bourbon in the Northwest' at Sip Magazine's Best of the Northwest Awards. The article notes that the prize-winning bottle was aged 8 years and had a short finish with American Oak staves.