Distilled in Washington: A History

by Becky Garrison, Mr. Charles Finkel (Foreword by)

Overview

Stories to SavorWashington has a tortured history with liquor. Efforts to ban or restrict it date back to1854, before the region even attained statehood, with blue laws remaining on the books well into the twentieth century. From Jimmie Durkin, an enterprising saloon owner, to Roy Olmstead, a former Seattle cop turned gentleman bootlegger, the business of liquor has inspired both trouble and innovation.Join author and journalist Becky Garrison as she traces the history of the barrel and the bottle from early settlement to the modern craft distilling boom in the Evergreen State.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467156240
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	03/18/2024
Series:	American Palate
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Becky Garrison is a satirist and storyteller. Since moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2014, she has been covering the PNW craft culture, including food, beer, wine, spirits, cider, coffee and cannabis/CBD, as well as the regional festival scene and the rise of secular spiritual communities. Follow her travels via Instagram @Becky_Garrison or Facebook at BeckyGarrisonWriter.

Editorial Reviews

Nominated for the 2025 Spirited Award

Stories to Savor

Washington State is quickly becoming a hotbed for American single malt whiskey, but plenty of other styles of whiskey are made there as well. Becky Garrison’s “Distilled in Washington: A History” is set to be released on March 18, 2024. Garrison takes us through the early history of distilling in Washington up through today.

Jacob Kiper, Malt Review

She writes about the “legends and the outliers responsible for the once illicit and unsavory business that has now emerged as a respectable multimillion—dollar craft spirits industry.”

—Modern Distillery Age

In the book nook with Becky Garrison

—Susanne Bacon, The Suburban Times

Book Review by Scotch Test Dummies

We have been awaiting Becky Garrison’s newest: Distilled in Washington. Just out this week, it celebrates our Washington state history as well as interesting intel on current Washington spirits producers.

Scratch Distillery

In this episode, I sit down with Becky Garrison, author of 'Distilling in Washington: A History,' to explore the fascinating history of whiskey distilling in Washington state. We uncover the early days of the industry, its impact on Native American tribes, and how drinking culture evolved over time. From the origins of terms like 'hooch' and 'skid row' to the pivotal role of saloons in state development, we uncover a rich, often overlooked narrative.

Washington is the only state named after a distiller. That’s the kind of fun fact that this enjoyable book is full of.

Travel Distilled Blog

So here I am, thinking there wasn't much to say about whiskey history west of the Mississippi. Becky Garrison has opened up a whole new chapter in the tale of American distilling, showing in sprightly, detailed prose how whiskey's roots in the Pacific Northwest go back centuries — and how new pages are being written every day.

Clay Risen, author of Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey

"Becky Garrison’s latest book, Distilled in Washington, delves into the fascinating history of making liquor, especially American Single Malt. With a topic like that, Garrison finds herself giving presentations throughout the region that go outside the standard reading and book signing (she does those too!)."

Book Publishers Weekly

"Author Becky Garrison traces Washington State’s tortured history with liquor in her new book, “Distilled in Washington: A History.” From efforts to ban liquor beginning in 1854 to the modern craft—distilling boom, Garrison presents the booze industry’s tumultuous and fascinating journey from past to present in the Evergreen State."

Northwest Travel & Life

From the Publisher