2BAR Spirits

Seattle's first craft bourbon producer stands apart in a city better known for coffee and rain. 2BAR Spirits brings Texas ranching heritage to the Pacific Northwest, creating bourbon with a Scottish whisky technique that sets it apart from the American grain-to-glass pack.

History & Heritage

Nathan Kaiser founded 2BAR Spirits in 2010, opening the Seattle distillery two years later with a name that traces back six generations to his family's South Texas ranch. The operation honors stories of family bootlegging during Prohibition, when quality moonshine meant survival. Kaiser transplanted this tradition to Washington's grain country, establishing the first craft distillery to produce bourbon within Seattle city limits.

The Whiskey

2BAR operates grain-to-glass with locally sourced corn, wheat, and malted barley from Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. Their bourbon employs an unusual six-grain mash bill: 60% corn, 6% wheat, and a substantial 34% malted barley from four different strains. The distillery uses lautering, separating liquid from grain before fermentation, a technique borrowed from Scottish whisky production. Current expressions include their flagship Straight Bourbon in 80-proof and 100-proof versions, a Bottled-in-Bond expression, and finished variants in wine and amaretto barrels, plus traditional moonshine honoring their Prohibition roots.

Why It Matters

The combination of high malted barley content and Scottish lautering technique produces bourbon with complexity uncommon in American grain-to-glass operations. 2BAR's commitment to local grain sourcing and their focus on perfecting a small lineup rather than chasing trends demonstrates serious craft distilling. Their 6-year single barrel releases show the distillery's aging program is reaching maturity, earning recognition as an award-winning operation in a region still building its whiskey reputation.