Craft Spirits
with Bluewater Organic Distillery
Bluewater Master Distiller John Lundlin thinks about spirits a little differently. Growing up in a Swedish household, he was raised with a love for the culinary arts and a knack for pairing great food and drinks. With a passion for both creative and technical endeavors, John began to build what would soon become Bluewater Organic Distillery.
Samantha Hill, the Chief Brand Officer, met with us in their beautiful distillery and destination restaurant to explain that, just like the spirits themselves, much of the facility’s interior is hand crafted by John himself. From the dining tables to the fire boxes and the carefully engineered distillery, every aspect of the operation has a lovingly crafted fingerprint.
Creating some of the finest spirits available begins with choosing the finest ingredients available. Every ingredient in both the spirits and the restaurant are carefully hand chosen to mindfully offer the best flavor and experience.
At the same time, each ingredient is chosen for its sustainability and ability to support local producers. John loves producing in Washington particularly because of its strong community of passionate creators. Each spirit begins life as an organic wheat base malt. While less common than many other base malts, wheat lends a peppery richness and smooth creaminess. All of the spirits are distilled in small batches in hand-hammered copper alembic stills that are heated with direct fire. This old-world technique is rare, even among artisan distillers. It does, however, offer one of the benefits that sets Bluewater spirits apart from their peers.
The copper in the alembic stills allows for optimal removal of impurities from the heads in the finished spirit. The spirit rendered from this process demands only minimal filtration and no additives. The final product has a pronounced smoothness with none of the heat that is typical of mass produced liquors.
As a part of his mission to re-educate the public about quality spirits, John explains the fact that big brands have to compromise something to achieve volume. That is why John is proud to keep his operation small and stay true to time-tested techniques.
We tasted all eight of the currently available bottled spirits they produce:
• Organic Vodka – smooth and creamy with a hint of vanilla and sweetness from the wheat
• 100 Proof Organic Vodka – stronger ethanol on the nose, but still cool and grainy and again the presence of vanilla
• Halcyon Gin – London-style dry gin with pronounced juniper and orange peel, and a clean, dry finish
• Blood Orange Vodka – excellent blood orange rind aromatics with bright pith and juice flavors
• Raspberry Infused Vodka – slightly earthy nose with the essence of raspberry coming through in the vapors and bright raspberry flavor with a touch of sweetness
• Akvavit – cool orange peel and anise on the nose with very light caraway and crisp citrus flavor
• Limoncello – bright lemon oil aroma and sweet sugared lemon flavor with minerals present from the organic sugar
• Elderflower Cardamom Liqueur – sweetish, carminative herbal nose with sweet, floral and soothing flavors






