You are now reading about the proud owners of 511 SE Court Ave. The original home of the Oldsmobile and Cadillac dealership here in Pendleton that started back in 1929. We spent several months working our business plan and finances to make the purchase of this building work, 

I want everyone to provide full disclosure on the building at 511 SE Court Ave. I must have driven by it thousands of times during my time in Pendleton and to be honest I didn't like it. I did not like the motif and the painted plywood panels attached to the brick. The sign was flaking and showed the ghosts of business past on several different layers of paint. 

I have had the honor of working at the Pendleton Grain Growers, Inc cooperative over the past three years. This is where I have learned about the grain business. From seed all the way to exporting. A lot of time and effort goes into the baked goods you purchase at the store and my current day job has me at ground zero for this process.

The Alcoholic Republic

"Rorabaugh has written a well thought out and intriguing social history of America's great alcoholic binge that occurred between 1790 and 1830, what he terms 'a key formative period' in our history....A pioneering work that illuminates a part of our heritage that can no longer be neglected in future studies of America's social fabric.

Since moving back we have been putting a lot of energy into planning the distillery here in Pendleton Oregon. We have visited numerous distilleries in Oregon and Washington taking notes, tasting products, and analyzing layouts. At this time we were also looking at their location. name, branding, and how we felt when touring their facility and tasting room. We also spent a lot of time and money researching their products by tasting and visiting liquor stores and retail locations where their products were sold. We focused on how products looked and read on the shelf. How was their brand represented in the short time we paid attention to it? Did we know where it came from? 

We took a very serious look at this location to build our dream. The Ladow building was built in the late 1800s and was originally a farm implement sales and repair building with retail offices and general apartment housing on the second floor. It has great look and feel to it. 

We decided it was time to get some official training. There are a lot training options when it comes to distilling. We wanted something that was in the PNW and had a broad coverage of topics. After a quick search we found that Dry Fly in Spokane offered a week long class and Spirits Institute Puget Sound in Seattle.