"A good cast is like a good Whiskey - it's smooth and hits the spot." Truer words were never spoken, particularly in the case of Dry Fly Distillery, the first distillery to churn out top-shelf spirits in Washington State since prohibition.  Of course, in the case of Dry Fly, that good cast is also like a good vodka and gin.

The brain child of self-described fly fishing fanatics Don Poffenroth and Kent Fleischmann, Dry Fly is a craft distillery based in Spokane producing small batches of vodka, gin and whiskey.  Started in 2007 with an output of just 3,500 cases and only regional distribution, Dry Fly has seen demand spike and has now acquired a second 450-liter still, will be producing nearly 7,000 cases annually and distributing their product nationally.

Dry Fly taps into sustainability, offering spirits made specifically from locally grown grains and botanicals.  Their wheat and barley hail from the Palouse, while their botanicals come from farms across the state including:  Omak, Sequim and Yakima.  In fact, as the first distiller in the state, Dry Fly helped write the bill that was presented to the state legislature to define the state's stance on "craft distilling."  They even added a special touch to the bill to give it some green legs.  In a nutshell, distilleries must source at least 50% of their ingredients from within the state.

But despite all the great press, Dry Fly has not forgotten its roots, which is why the bottling of Dry Fly is done by hand, and by groups of volunteers who are interested in the process and interested in having fun.  That's right.  You and your friends can sign up to bottle a batch of Dry Fly vodka or gin!  Or, if you're an aspiring distiller, you can get exposed to every facet of small distillery operations through the Dry Fly Distilling School.  Check out http://www.dryflydistillery.com/ for more details.

I don't know whether it's the local products, the hands on approach or a unique combination of both, but Dry Fly's final product is one I'll raise a glass to!