Nestled amidst the vibrant atmosphere of Everett's Paine Field Airport, James Bay Distillers is a creator of fine spirits. With a steadfast dedication to producing super-premium Canadian, Scotch, and American whiskies, along with an enticing array of gins, vodka, and the exotic finocchietto, this artisanal distillery has ten spirits rated 90+ points or higher. Guided by the founders Ernest and Leigh Troth, James Bay Distillers represents a harmonious blend of tradition, innovation, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence. As we talk to them about their history, production methods, and future endeavors, let's uncover the essence of this captivating spirits saga.

Can you walk us through the inception of James Bay Distillers, shedding light on the inspirations and aspirations that fueled its establishment?

We were originally inspired in 2013 by the "Moonshiners" TV show!   This fascination grew from an amusing idea to serious exploration and visits to nearly 100 distilleries, to a fully developed business plan, market research, funding, and an expanded group of accredited investors.    We knew that each spirit we were to produce must be super-premium in quality and that each spirit had to be a "sipping spirit," distinctive, fun and to work as an affordable luxury.

How has your international experience influenced the selection of products and flavors offered by James Bay Distillers?

Having lived and worked in some 30 different countries, we find many flavors of great interest to us that we wanted to share with our customers and which were unlike the typical craft distillery line of "bourbon/london-dry-gin/basic vodka."  For example, our Canadian whisky offerings feature also a 46-month finish in a French Martel cognac cask; one release features organic dark chocolate from Ecuador; we offer a Scotch Whisky based on a permit from "the King of England," in the UK's Revenue & Customs office.  We also use distinctive botanicals in gins:  British blueberries, Saskatoon berries from Canada, June Berries from Minnesota, and ube which is a Pacific island purple yam.  Our Bartender Spirits Awards 91 pointer Finnochietto is an original Italian recipe with anise, fennel, almond & vanilla: a biscotti in a glass.   In contract distilling, we have produced for customers a Russian-inspired white whiskey and an Asian cuisine-inspired pineapple-forward gin.  So many flavors! 

Image: Finnochietto - Winners of Bartender Spirits Awards

Could you elaborate on the pivotal moments in the company's journey from Virginia to British Columbia and finally settling at Paine Field Airport?

We loved our move from the USA to BC, and enthusiastically reviewed 6-7 different properties, each time however finding the property too small, or requiring too much fit out or reconstruction, or that the landlord would remove the property from the lease offering.   In part, we were ahead of our time and found that the range of spirits we wanted to make was better suited for the "foodie" environment of greater Seattle.  Our 2 side by side bays at the IAC building at Paine Field were ideal: open floors, high ceilings, sprinklers in place, sufficient power and water, and tons of parking.  Since we are actually between the runways, every day is an airshow whether it's the US Navy from a nearby naval air station, Boeing's test flights, or general aviation and vintage aircraft.

What sets James Bay Distillers apart regarding production methods and distillation techniques employed for crafting your spirits?

Our methods are inspired by tight cuts in heads-heart-tails, and we prefer lower volume and higher quality.  For one example, we use some unique processing in our vodka which we learned from a super-premium producer east of Moscow, Russia.  That Russian distillery doesn't export to the USA, and their products are top quality.  Perhaps this is one reason our vodka was rated 1 of the top 9 vodkas in the US (Wine Enthusiast) in 2022, and also 1 of the top 100 spirits (from among all distilleries) in the USA, also in 2022.   To learn those methods and achieve that quality took 2 years of research and exploration of foreign vodka-making patents as well as talks with Russian distillers.

Sustainability is essential in the spirits industry today. How does James Bay Distillers integrate sustainability practices into its operations?

We are located in one of the few designated Salmon-Safe areas, and all of our procedures are designed around those principles of low- to no-waste.  Our ingredients are organic whenever possible.  For example, our dark chocolate used for 2 products is not only organic but sustainable, renewable, and traceable.  Our citrus botanicals are organic and we source from the closest available producers to reduce trucking time and shipping mileage.

Could you elucidate on the markets James Bay Distillers currently caters to and any expansion plans in the pipeline?

Our market demographics include a focus on HENRY - "high earning and not rich yet," a common luxury marketing term.   This market segment of retail customers loves new products, new flavors, experiences, and challenges.    We believe food and drink should be fun and exciting.   For on- and off-premise sales, our markets range from local restaurants and liquor stores to export destinations: Japan, Hong Kong, mainland China, and the UK/European Union.   We are working with experts in each of those geographic areas so we have boots on the ground for sales assistance.  Key to this is some years of developing relationships with these wholesalers and brokers.   We carefully try to tune our products to the flavor profile preferences of each market.    We continue to add new accredited and other investors and look forward to expanded production to meet some current foreign orders and others that are in the pipeline.  

We've seen a diverse range of products from James Bay Distillers. Could you highlight any new experiments or innovations the company is currently undertaking?

While our gins are all low in juniper (so far) we have had requests for a juniper-forward gin which we expect to release later in 2024.  We have also a Mediterranean and Arab-world-inspired amaro in development which calls for a balance of 14 different botanicals.   There is always something new in our labs and stills and we invite our tasting room guests to taste test with us several options for each new product as they progress in the development phases.

Image: James Bay Distillers Seattle Dry Gin

Amidst numerous accolades, what do you consider to be the biggest achievement for James Bay Distillers thus far?

Our biggest achievement is to have distilled & released 10 products that are rated 90 points and higher (one at 97 points). Our Bartender Spirits Awards’ gold winner Navy Gin twice earned a double-gold medal, and was twice rated "dangerously smooth."   Our initial goal when we began releasing products was that James Bay Distillers would be known for consistently superior quality, flavor, and affordable luxury.   Now that we've proven we can produce the best quality spirits, we look ahead to expand.

Image Source: James Bay Distillers - Winners of Bartender Spirits Awards

How does the company's participation in the Bartender Spirits Awards contribute to its growth and reputation in the industry?

Top-of-mind awareness is always a challenge for a newer distillery like ours.   Competing head-to-head with known, larger distilleries allows us to show that in a blind-taste competition, our products match or exceed the quality of others.  Showing that our spirits can be money-makers for bartenders and restaurants is key, and we price our wholesale offerings to ensure each layer of the sales chain can make a profit and yet have an affordable cocktail or bottle for the end user.

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Conclusion:

In essence, James Bay Distillers encapsulates more than just the art of crafting spirits; it embodies a narrative of dedication, passion, and continuous refinement. From its modest origins to its international recognition, the distillery's journey reflects resilience and ingenuity. As they persist in pushing the boundaries of craft distillation, James Bay Distillers stands as a symbol of excellence in the spirits industry, offering discerning consumers an unparalleled experience with every sip.

In conversation with Malvika Patel, Editor and VP, Beverage Trade Network