Making Mischief

Mike Sherlock has designed and built with his hands his entire life.  

Passionate, self-taught, and a craftsman with sweeping interests, Mike came from a non-fishing family and quickly rose to the top as a commercial fisherman, designer & builder of high-speed skiffs, fishing boats, and factories. Later, he added designing & building craftsman-inspired houseboats, several of which have been featured on the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, and HGTV.  

“All life is art” Mike is often heard to say.  These days, his artistry is distilling.

“When creating fine whiskey & spirits, our home – the Pacific Northwest – provides us abundant resources: a terroir with topsoil 30-feet deep, pure mountain water, bountiful grains, and grain varieties. However, truly great spirits are made when we work together.

Previously, when I owned shipyards, I worked with others who did the same kind of work we did. If I needed extra welders, they would help 

me out; sometimes it was me that sent work their way. The point is by working together, we did better than any single shipyard.

The same thing works in distilling. It’s not just one person or one company. When we work closely with others – the result, making great whiskey is just better.  Local farmers, our artisan millers, the custom maltster, our barrel maker; each one brings his personal passion and knowledge to our finished product.   “It’s very fulfilling, working with them. We make award-winning spirits & whiskey. And, just as rewarding, we make good friends.”

“Distilling is part science, part heart, innovative thinking, and hard work.   For us, it’s incredibly satisfying when we harvest a barrel, and enjoy it with those who helped us make it. For our whiskey, this is often several years and it’s always worth the wait.” 

 – Mike Sherlock,
Owner & Head Distiller