When someone mentions nostalgia, you’re instantly taken to a place, a feeling, a memory of a different time, and a longing for the past. The great thing about nostalgia is that we all have different nostalgic feelings. Maybe it is a Sunday morning coffee and conversation with your grandpa. Maybe it’s a summer baseball game under the big lights. Whatever the feeling, it brings a sense of familiarity and warmth which is the same feeling we get with every sip of Dry Land Distillers single grain whiskey.
This warm fuzzy feeling isn’t just from the buzz. It’s from the nostalgic feeling we get growing a crop that ends up in our glass just like those veggies we helped grow in our grandma’s gardens as kids. Our farm has humble beginnings, but with that beginning, we have always embraced change. Marc has been at the forefront of innovation over the years but being able to trace a consumer product back to the exact field of grain he grew was a new experience for his farm. When Dry Land Distillers began distilling their single grain, Antero wheat whiskey, we knew they had made something special which is why Marc did not hesitate when the folks at Dry Land Distillery approached him about growing an heirloom wheat variety that was almost extinct.
Sonora wheat has long been thought to be the oldest wheat variety still in existence dating back to over 2,500 years ago. It is a soft white wheat that is beardless which is different than the typical wheat you will find on our farm or most others. I am sure many are thinking heirloom varieties are not innovative, and you may be right from an agronomic standpoint, but the utterly unique whiskey that is created using its berries is a true innovation. Dry Land Distillers is the only distiller which chooses to distill this grain into a single malt, single barrel wheat whiskey; thus, creating a niche market for our Sonora wheat crop because at the end of the day we cannot just grow something cool, we must be able to sell it too.
Dry Land’s Heirloom Wheat Whiskey and Antero Whiskey both start with grains grown on our farm. They produce wonderful rum, gin, and prickly pear cactus spirits as well. These are all sourced in the same way – locally and responsibly. They take commitment, attention to detail, and the passion to create something great extremely serious. They are adding value to your typical (and atypical) distilling components which are building a legacy they can be proud of, just as the Arnusch family set out to do in the early 1950s.
At the end of the day, our legacy is what drives our relationships. We try to align ourselves with people who share the same values. Whom we can be proud to say we do business with. For us, Dry Land Distillers values, check all the boxes. They are distilling great spirits to sell to their friends, family, and community members while growing family businesses through their vendor relationships and maintaining integrity in the spirits they produce. They do business the way we do business. Their partnership gives us that nostalgic feeling I think many of us are searching for in a time filled with change, and uncertainty.
Businesses across the country are facing more challenges as the second wave of shutdowns occur. Negativity is all around us, but there are so many positive things that can still be done. Watch for more stories about our farm on our website, follow Dry Land Distillers on Facebook, or even better buy a bottle of your favorite spirit for you or a friend from their online store.