The People
FARMERS - Brothers, Tom and Ken Koyen, lifelong Washington Islanders whose ancestors arrived in the 1850s, are the two primary growers of wheat for Washington Island Brands. Through the expansion of Washington Island Brands and Island Wheat Ale (now Capital Brewery's top-seller), the harvest grew to half a million pounds of wheat in 2006, and the herbicide-and pesticide-free plantings now cover 800 acres. These brothers now also contribute their wheat to Death's Door Spirits. Tom retired from another job to oversee the wheat farming, and the family has hired other workers to help them plant and harvest. "It's been rewarding for us to be able to concentrate on growing a product and helping the island economy without harming the land," Ken Koyen told Door County Living.THE WASHINGTON ISLAND FERRY began running service between Door County's mainland and Washington Island in 1940. Father, Carl Richter, and son, Arni worked together to safely connect people to the bounty of the island. Today Arni still owns the ferry line while passing along its heritage to a new father-son team, Richard and Hoyt Purinton. For over 60 years the Washington Island Ferry has been safely navigating the legendary and historic Death's Door Passage. The ferry picks up cargo, passengers, and vehicles at Northport Pier at the tip of the Door Peninsula or Detroit Pier on the Island. The 30 minute journey through the historic waterway (known as "The Door" to locals)passes three Islands: Plum, Pilot and Detroit. Kim Hansen from the Washington Island Ferry takes note of Death's Door Spirits, "Island Wheat, Death's Door Vodka, and now Gin - keep up the good work. It really seems to have put Washington Island on the map! We really wish them every success in this venture. Besides they are having fun while doing it!"
DISTILLERS in Madison & Cedar Rapids, IA - The Quint Family owns and runs Cedar Ridge Vineyards, Winery & Distillery, the first licensed distillery in the state of Iowa since prohibition. Jeff, owner, is a master distiller with countless hours of crafting & perfecting spirit products. Elliot, nephew of Jeff, has been working side-by-side with Jeff for many years. Now cousin Nick, the godfather of Jeff plans on joining the fun, Nick tells us "Having recently sampled Jeff and Elliott's spirits, I have to say that they really have honed their skills and are making some wonderful product - so good, in fact, that I plan on starting my own distillery!" Cedar Ridge Distillery partners with Death's Door Spirits to distill their small-batch vodka and gin and bring expansion of the distilleries to Madison, WI.
THE CULINARY & PRODUCTION TEAM - The Washington Island Hotel, Restaurant & Culinary School Chef Leah Caplan created the flavor profiles for Death's Door Vodka and Gin. An honors graduate of the famed Culinary Institute of America, her cuisine has been praised in the pages of The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and Midwest Living to name a few publications. Brian & Jill Ellison, brother and sister-in-law navigated the Death's Door Spirits home base through initial trials of branding, marketing, media and more. Still integral to Death's Door Spirit's development, the duo decided to share the fun by bringing two more on board with local food blogger Scott Lynch and bartender extraordinaire Sarah Larson.
We at Death's Door Spirits, our distillers and Chef Caplan encourage our customers to savor responsibly, by making spirits part of a healthy lifestyle that celebrates fine, locally grown and produced foods.
