Great brandy starts with great wine. DW Distilling makes complex brandy from local, Walla Walla wines. Come visit us Saturdays from 1-5pm!
Craig Wollam (the W) and Keith Dahlgren (the D) met in 1997 in a show called Crazy For You. Later, at the Village Theater in Issaquah, Washington. Craig designed the lavish set and Keith played the character of the valet, LaFleche in the production of Moliere’s The Miser. Throughout the shows, they discovered they shared a love of fine wine, good beer, and quality spirits. Craig introduced Keith to the pleasures and complexities of good single-malt Scotch, and a friendship began to brew - but little did they suspect that some day they would become business partners.
In the following years, Craig and Keith’s professional paths continued to cross, and they remained good friends. Craig founded a successful non-profit theatrical set construction company, while Keith managed several local theater companies. At one point, Keith even served on the board of trustees for Craig’s business.
One of the theaters at which Craig and Keith often worked together was Wooden O, a company that provides the Puget Sound area with free Shakespeare in the parks. When Wooden O and Seattle Shakespeare Company collaborated with a group of winemakers in Walla Walla, Washington to bring summer Shakespeare productions to Walla Walla, Craig and Keith were enlisted. For several seasons, they shared their love of fine wines by enjoying tastings at the multitude of extraordinary wineries. Keith already had a special place in his heart for the city, having received his bachelors in theater arts from Whitman College, and marrying his college sweetheart, who was born in Walla Walla.
Craig and Keith’s love of Walla Walla wines, the small unique city itself, and their interest in distilling began to merge and blossom. Craig had spent some time in France, and learned to appreciate good brandy. His memory of a glass of cognac after every meal spurred the idea that he and Keith could create a quality local craft brandy. Convinced that Washington wines and Walla Walla wines in particular were the best in the world, they looked for the brandy they thought would be distilled from these fine wines. They could not find any craft distillers, so they made the wise decision to make brandy themselves. Hence, DW Distilling was born – located, of course, in Walla Walla!
Craig and Keith distill their brandy from already-casked Washington wines, which adds unique flavors and shortens the cask times after distillation. They use all-copper pot-stills, and they cask their brandy in American oak, which adds lovely vanilla and caramels to the taste. Each wine brings its own individual flavor to the brandy, so no two are alike.
