2BAR Spirits

On a working stretch of Seattle's SODO industrial district, 2BAR Spirits mills, mashes, ferments, distills, ages, and bottles every drop of its bourbon on-site, using grain grown exclusively by Washington State farmers. It is a rare thing in American whiskey: a true grain-to-glass operation built from a Texas ranch name and Pacific Northwest grain.

History & Heritage

2BAR Spirits was founded in 2010 by Nathan Kaiser and formally opened its doors in 2012. The name is a direct homage to Kaiser's family history: it references the brand on his family's fifth-generation ranch in South Texas, a nod to Southern roots planted in a Northwestern distillery. Kaiser remains the distillery's owner. From the outset, 2BAR committed to a grain-to-glass model, controlling every stage of production in-house rather than sourcing bulk whiskey, a choice that puts it in a small category of American craft distilleries that can trace every bottle back to a specific mash they built themselves. The distillery also operates with an all-female production team, a detail 2BAR highlights as core to its identity rather than incidental.

The Whiskey

2BAR's bourbon starts with a mash bill of 60% corn, 6% wheat, and 34% malted barley, itself a blend of four different malts: chocolate, Crystal 150, Crystal 120, and 2-row. That much malted barley in a bourbon mash is unusual; most American bourbon producers lean on a small percentage of barley purely for enzymatic conversion. At 2BAR, the malt bill is closer to a flavor decision, layering roasted and caramel notes beneath the corn sweetness. The whiskey comes off the still at 152 proof and enters the barrel at 118 proof, aged in new charred oak as required for straight bourbon.

Barrel size has grown with the distillery. Early releases went into 15-gallon barrels for faster, more concentrated maturation; later runs moved to 30-gallon barrels, and 2BAR has since begun filling full-size barrels for future releases, a sign of a distillery aging into its own timeline rather than relying on small-barrel shortcuts indefinitely.

The core lineup reflects that range. 2Bar Bourbon Whiskey is the flagship, an 80-proof straight bourbon aged a minimum of three years in new charred oak. 2Bar Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Bottled in Bond carries the federal Bottled in Bond designation at 100 proof and a minimum four years of age, the more rigorous standard reserved for whiskey distilled in a single season at a single distillery. The 2Bar 6 Year Single Barrel Bourbon is bottled at barrel strength from a single 30-gallon charred new American white oak barrel, making it the distillery's oldest and most concentrated bourbon release to date. 2BAR also finishes bourbon in secondary casks: a wine barrel finish at 90 proof, and a 90-proof Amaretto Barrel Finished Whiskey aged the standard three-plus years before finishing in Amaretto barrels sourced from Sons of Vancouver distillery. Beyond bourbon, the distillery produces 2Bar Moonshine, an unaged whiskey from 80% corn and 20% malted barley, and 2Bar Vodka, a single-distilled spirit.

Why It Matters

2BAR Spirits matters because it does the hard version of craft distilling: building a bourbon program from locally grown grain through to bottling, on one site, rather than buying finished whiskey and dressing it up. The mash bill's heavy, multi-malt barley content and the deliberate progression from small to full-size barrels show a distillery iterating on its own process in public, release by release. For those who appreciate good whiskey looking past the largest bourbon-producing states, 2BAR is a clear example of the Pacific Northwest's craft distilling scene producing whiskey with a genuine point of view.

Visiting the Distillery

2BAR Spirits' tasting room and distillery, at 2960 4th Ave S in Seattle, are open to visitors. Tastings run daily, with reservations recommended on weekends, and cost $10, waived with a purchase. Tours run hourly, with the last tour starting at 5 PM. Visitors interested in a Monday through Thursday visit are asked to email [email protected] in advance to confirm availability.