John Lundin is a sailor and he’s learned a number of things from his years at sea.
Now, the owner of Bluewater Distilling is using much of that knowledge in his latest venture: opening a cocktail bar and restaurant. Bluewater Distilling, which has been distilling spirits in Everett since 2007, opened its waterfront cocktail bar on July 11.
“Sailing is the ultimate challenge. You’re subjected to fatigue, and there’s so much you have to deal with in terms of forecasting, planning, engineering, maintenance,” Lundin said. “Sailing is a great metaphor for what we are doing with the business.”
In early 2014, Lundin chatted with Jim Weber, who works for the Port of Everett, about the warehouse space that Bluewater Distilling now occupies. It was very close to Bluewater’s previous warehouse, but much bigger, and Lundin said he envisioned a cocktail bar that would fit in well with the new waterfront development slated to begin next year.
“The type of business we want to be marries really well with the type of development and experiences of the people who will live here,” Lundin said.
Lundin calls the next evolution of Bluewater Distillery as a “destination distillery.” It’s an idea borrowed from what craft breweries and wineries have been doing for years. Many states don’t allow for craft distilleries to create an on-premise retail business, but Washington does, and Lundin has gone all out.
A few feet from the actual copper kettles where Bluewater’s spirits are distilled, sits the bar, proudly displaying bottles of Bluewater’s vodkas and gin. The bartenders shake handmade drinks, most made with Bluewater spirits.
“Putting a restaurant in house and a bar with our spirits is truly special,” Lundin said.
The cocktail bar is a far cry from Bluewater Distillery’s previous space, which Lundin called a commercial artisan warehouse. “We could be bottling right in front of customers having a drink at the bar,” Lundin said.
Now, with the copper kettles on display in the same space as the bar, Lundin envisions customers experiencing the process of distilling spirits at the same time as they’re imbibing on a cocktail. Visitors can enjoy the heat from the handmade fire boxes under the kettles, as well as the aromas and the sounds of the spirits.
The cocktail bar and restaurant is decidedly Pacific Northwest. From the fresh food and drinks to the Douglas fir wood that makes up the tables and bars, Lundin has borrowed from his surroundings to create what he calls a “Northwest beach bar.”
Bluewater has also made sure to work closely with local and independent people and companies in creating its space and menus. The spirits behind the bar that aren’t Bluewater’s are made by independent distilleries like Woodinville’s J.P. Trodden, the tonic on tap is from Seattle’s Bradley’s Tonic Co., and the menu is made up of food purchased at the Everett Farmers Market. There’s beer on tap from Everett breweries Scuttlebutt and Diamond Knot and cider from Wenatchee’s Snowdrift Cider Co.
“Everything in the bar has a connection to a real person not just some industrial conglomerate,” Lundin said. “We’re focused on businesses that have a fierce independent streak.”
The bars are made up of two sister pieces of 20-foot slabs of wood from a Douglas fir that was sourced by Wild Edge Woods in Oso. Everett Steel provided the industrial steel that creates the structural support for the bars and tables, which are made up of Douglas fir planks with inset I-beams. Lundin did the welding and design of the tables and booths.
“We spent a year and a half with our heads in a computer screen digitally looking at it, and it’s amazing how close we are to the intention of it,” Lundin said.
Bluewater Distilling, which only had two employees, Lundin and marketing and event director Amy Vernette, before the move, has grown to 10. One of those new employees is chef Chris Kerby, who oversees a kitchen focused on fresh food. There’s no freezer, fryer or microwave, only a combi oven, so the dishes, like Dungeness crab salad or herb-crusted pork loin, are made fresh.
The drinks are simple and focused on locally sourced ingredients. All of the juice used for the drinks is fresh, the herbs and berries are seasonal. For example, the purist is Bluewater’s vodka on ice with seasonal fresh fruit (currently it’s nectarines). There are also a number of drinks rooted in the classics, but with a Northwest twist, like the Hat Island (Manhattan) and San Juan (margarita).
Part of the new space is an event area that will be able to accommodate private parties as well as special events like tastings and classes, including Bluewater’s Saturday Yogamosa classes.
Along with the move, Bluewater Distilling added a third kettle to make brandy and other limited-edition herbal distillants like aquavit.
Aaron Swaney: 425-339-3430; aswaney@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @swaney_aaron79. Follow the Hops and Sips blog at www.heraldnet.com/hopsandsips.
Bluewater Organic Distilling
1205 Craftsman Way Suite 109, Everett, 425-404-1408, www.bluewaterdistilling.com.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
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