Color, taste, viscosity, heat: all crucial factors when it comes to enjoying a great spirit. What about locality, though? Or craft? How much importance are we placing on where our drinks come from and the care that goes into creating them? At Watershed Distillery you can find quality bourbons, gins, and vodka with Columbus distilled into their hearts.
Inspired by his years as a professional athlete in Switzerland, Ohio native and proud Buckeye, Greg Lehman, founded Watershed in 2010 with a deep desire to be a business for and fueled by his community. From the grain and botanicals that are used, the barrels they’re aged in, to the labels on the bottles Watershed is a true grass roots distillery. According to Greg, “the magic in local is dealing with people that are like minded, that you connect with… it’s fun to do business with people that you know”. That deep rooted commitment to the community and the simple idea of waterways distilling to societies and distilling water into spirits is what fostered the business’s moniker, “communities are built around those water sources” says Greg “everything that affects the watershed affects the people… there’s a symbiotic relationship between [them]… and the essence of the brand is built around embracing those watershed moments in our lives.”
Not only is Greg Lehman the founder, he is also the head distiller at Watershed! While bourbon is near and dear to his heart, he admits that there is more room to play with flavor when it comes to gin.
A breakout star in the gin sector this past year was their Four Peel strawberry-infused gin, which I’m pleased to say will be returning this summer! Classic Four Peel gin, coined “sunshine in a bottle”, can be found year-round along with their Bourbon Barrel Aged gin that is fantastic in a Negroni or sipping on its own, and their Guild Gin infused with delicious chamomile flowers.
Coming down the pipeline for whiskeys, this spring will see the return of their Double Gold and Double Platinum winning Rye, a perfect spirit for those of us that like a little spice and pepper to balance the sweetness of corn in a mash build! Also coming later this year will be their Uncut, Unfiltered Bourbon – as close as you can get to theifing straight from the barrels of the rickhouse –, and a Port Finished Bourbon for their annual Fall Finishing series.
As the weather starts to warm up Watershed’s spectacular kitchen and bar – conveniently located across from the distillery – is perfect for enjoying delicious food and drinks on their patio. You can sign up for emails on their featured releases and events via their website at watersheddistillery.com!
Create your own Watershed moment this year and witness the creative passion for quality spirit making up close by taking a guided tour of the distillery in the heart of Columbus.
Drink well, drink local, drink Watershed!
