Whether it’s artisanal handicrafts or food, consumers are increasingly attracted to brands and products that focus less TV commercials and more on quality, locally-sourced ingredients.

This is apparent in the growing food-to-table movement and explosion of craft brewers in the U.S. over the past few years.

Though it hasn’t received the same amount of press, artisanal spirits, also known as boutique booze – which sounds cooler – is having it’s own Renaissance.

The number of small distilleries in the U.S. is around 240 with projections of there being more than 400 by the end of 2015. This is astonishing growth considering there were barely 50 independent distillers in 2003.

The explosion of these smaller distillers is a boon to mixologists and cocktail connoisseurs who appreciate the purity, freshness and quality of the local ingredients as well as the painstaking distillation process.

Dry Fly Distilling

One of the companies spearheading this movement is Spokane, Washington’s Dry Fly Distilling. Dry Fly was founded in 2007 as the first distillery in Washington State since prohibition.

Founded by two self-confessed “trout bums,” Don Pofenroth and Kent Fleischmann, Dry Fly is committed to the farm-to-bottle approach. Every drop of liquor they sell comes from fresh, unprocessed ingredients grown by sustainable farms in the agriculturally rich Spokane area.

Despite their commitment to remaining locally-sourced, or perhaps because of it, Dry Fly has expanded all over the U.S. and into Canada. They were awarded the 2011 Distillery of the Year by the American Distilling Institute.

After taking a look at their products, it’s obvious why.

Dry Fly currently has four main offerings. A Vodka, Gin, and Bourbon 101. Their vodka was hailed by DrinkSpirits.com as “a classic – a mind-blowing vodka that is expertly distilled.” Lance Mayhew of the Oregon Culinary Institute described the wheat whiskey as “like a baby’s blanket caressing my tongue, with freshly baked orange scones, cinnamon toast, white pepper and peppermint notes.” We could go on, but you get the point. Dry Fly is making some good boutique booze.

If you’re catering to a crowd that knows their booze, you might want to safe yourself the trouble of trying to pass off a lesser-brand and go ahead and serve Dry Fly. The company’s story is appealing and gives their products yet another dimension.

Recipes

We picked some of our favorite, non-traditional recipes recommended by Dry Fly. If you’re looking to try out something new, give them a shot.

Blueberry Caipiroska

Chocolate Manhattan