Our Legacy
1920
Crafted In The Tradition of Adventurous Spirits
Prohibition created an opportunity for our great grandparents to turn their successful bakeries into a more "spirited" business. Today, our legacy of crafting adventurous spirits is steeped in earned knowledge, technical versatility and a steadfast commitment to distinctive quality
- John Wohlfert, Distiller
A FAMILY TRADITION SINCE 1920
Wohlfert Craft Distillery is a family-owned distillery in Clearview, Washington. John and Karen Wolfert share a passion for recipe creation and the artistry involved with the hands-on engagement of a nonautomated still, and they invite you to come experience the distillery and meet Henry our very friendly greeter and our creative distillery team.
John's great-grandfather, Johann Wohlfert, was born in Bavaria. In 1890, at the age of 14, he was working as a baker's assistant in a bakery in Queens, New York. He married John's great-grandmother in 1896. By 1925, he had 3 bakeries, and "business" was booming in part thanks to the 18th Amendment. Technically, all you really need is sugar and yeast to make a vodka mash, and John's great-granddaddy had plenty of both. John is happy to tell the whole story over a tipple in our Clubhouse and share his great-grandparents' photo with their "Delivery Truck" in 1920…
A TEAM EFFORT – BUILDING ON THE TRADITION
John Wolfert – Founder & Distiller: As a veteran engineer, John enjoys the challenge of the math involved in creating consistently high-quality products within very rigid federal requirements. He believes that baking and artisanal distilling do not provide a 100% repeatable product, so each batch has its own slightly different personality but is always of exceptional quality.
Karin, nee Mueller (Miller) -Product Pioneer: As a master baker, she is skilled at both the art and the science that goes into baking and recipe creation. Karen loves working and developing recipes for baking and beverages. Her family also had a connection to grains and baking and made their own spirits, and her grandmother made bathtub gin during the prohibition, and she has promised that someday, she may resurrect the lost art of using a stainless-steel bathtub to steep florals.
Jeremy Thomas - Co-distiller and Operations Manager. Jeremy brings to Wohlfert Craft Distilling a wide range of skills from Facilities Management to Construction Superintendent. If it has to do with the distillery, Jeremy is on top of it. You’ll find Jeremy and his wife Haley at events doing tastings, sales and bartending.
Fiona Jones - Events Coordinator. Fiona is our newest team member, her background in hospitality and bartending make her a great addition to the team. Fiona will also be managing our membership club program as well.
