New Local Distillery to Host Tours on Saturday

DAYTON – Dayton's new XO Alambic distillery will be offering tours of their shop during Saturday's Blue Mountain Station Co-op Market, coinciding Mule Mania Weekend.

The spirits distillery, which is expected to hold its grand opening later this summer, is located at Blue Mountain Station, west of Dayton. People taking part in the tour will be shown around the distillery and shown the various barrels, as well as the still and other equipment used in the making of the spirits.

XO Alambic is run by sole proprietor Rusty Figgins, who has previously worked as a master distiller at both Ellensburg Distillery in Ellensburg and Batch 206 in Seattle. He has been in the wine and spirits industry since he began picking grapes at his family's winery when he was a kid.

Figgins describes his new venture as being a "house of brands instead of a branded house," meaning that each project that is created in the distillery will have its own unique identity. XO Alambic's first two offerings will include a five-grain whisky that has been aged for five years, called "Scythe & Sheaf." Another spirit to be initially offered will be a seven-year-old brandy made from wine grapes named "Clos St. Rose."

XO Alambic is a "craft distillery with aged spirits in mind," Figgins said, "but we will likely have some clear spirits in the future." Plans for clear spirits include a Walla Walla Sweet Onion inspired vodka, as well as their own gin.

Figgins also said that he has a partnership with the local Warren Orchards to provide local apples and pears for distilling spirits. He hopes this partnership will lead to Washington's finest apple brandy. Along with this plan, the distillery will strive to make all projects from Columbia County raw agricultural products as much as it can in the future.

On top of his own projects, Figgins intends to offer custom service to brandy and winery owners, helping them create their own spirits and projects using their own products, with the help of the distillery. This could include distilling wines into brandy, or fortified "tort" wines.

XO Alambic has multiple barrels to age the spirits, as well as adding more flavor. Figgins also has a "Figgins Reciprocator Still," which he had built and imported. The still is a dual-kettle, single-column hybrid still that Figgins uses himself, as well as installing it at other distilleries around Washington. At 2,000 liters, or around 528 gallons, it is easily one of the largest stills in the area.

Figgins had to receive federal licensing before he could open his distillery in Dayton, and received help from both the Port of Columbia and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who helped expedite the licensing process.

More information on the craft distillery can be found at xoalambic.com.