Winemaker Goose Ridge Estate opens distillery

The team behind Goose Ridge Estate Vineyards and Winery have founded a distillery in Washington, US.

Monson Ranch Distillers is a family-owned, ‘small craft’ distillery in Prosser, Washington. The family behind the distillery and Goose Ridge Estate Vineyards and Winery has eight decades of experience in the agricultural industry.

The distillery will be run by third- and fourth-generation members of the Monson family, along with master distiller Brian Morton.

The distillery will create a variety of grape-based spirits: Vido Vodka, Feather & Folly Gin, and 5 Arrow VSOP Brandy. The brandy will be exclusive to the Goose Ridge Tasting Rooms and the distillery.

Morton said: “What makes Monson Ranch Distillers unique is our diverse array of resources from the Monson family’s ranch here in the Columbia Valley, where we are able to control every step of the process for a complete farm-to-bottle experience.

“From the vineyards and new rye and corn plantings at the Goose Gap ranch, to our state-of-the-art distillery, we’re truly able to touch every aspect of production. This gives each spirit we produce an authentic sense of place reflecting the family’s Washington farming heritage.”

The new distillery has been built with ‘state-of-the-art’ equipment, including three 25-foot-tall column stills and a 700-gallon copper pot still.

It also features a bottling line, which can accommodate a variety of shapes. The barrel room also offers long-term storage on site.

Furthermore, Monson Ranch Distillers is offering third-party distillation services.

The distillery is open to visitors by appointment only.

In more recent distillery news, Scottish spirits producer Eden Mill commenced the second phase of construction of its multi-million-pound distillery and visitor centre.