Ransom Spirits was started by Tad Seestedt in 1997. Initially, the distillery made small amounts of grappa, eau de vie and brandy. In 1999, Ransom began the production of a number of small-batch fine wines, and In 2007 we took up the craft of grain-based spirits, adding gin, whiskey and vodka to the lineup. By 2010, we combined our crafts of winemaking and distilling to create our first Dry Vermouth.
Ransom Farms is located in the Willamette Valley – in the foothills of the Coastal Mountain Range. We purchased a forty-acre farm outside of Sheridan, Oregon in 2008. Barley has been planted since 2008, and our first vines were planted in the spring of 2010. In keeping with our commitment to sustainability and stewardship, our farm has been certified Organic since 2011.
We distill our spirits in a hand-hammered, direct-fired French alembic pot still. We make all of the selective cuts by taste and smell – without the use of computers or robots. Traditional distillation retains greater aromatic intensity and body from the raw materials we select with great care. We mash and ferment our base wort on site weekly in small batches, sourcing local and organic grains where possible and incorporating barley grown on our own farm. Our gins include the finest natural botanicals, many of which are organically grown in Oregon.
Here in the green foothills of the Oregon Cascades, a new tradition of winemaking and distilling is springing to life. At Ransom Spirits, we strive daily to embody our core values of historicity, craftsmanship, and terroir. In working hard every day to make products that speak to their literal and figurative roots, we believe that we have created dynamic, terroir-driven wines and craft spirits with the weight and aromatic complexity of their predecessors.
We believe that wine and spirits are a celebration of life. Drinking premium quality, handcrafted wine and spirits can compliment good food and add to the sense of delight and fulfillment found in gathering to eat and drink. It is the function of libations to enhance fellowship, discussion, and the exchange of ideas. So visit the market, invite over friends and family, and raise a toast to health and happiness through good meals, conversation and socializing! SALUD!
Rye, Barley, Wheat Whiskey
Gold Medal -Seattle International Spirits Awards
Five Stars – F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal
Silver Medal – San Francisco World Spirits Competition
World Whisky Awards – Best American Grain Whisky
91 Points – Ultimate Beverage Challenge
Our Rye, Barley, Wheat Whiskey is carefully crafted using the finest traditions in distilling—It has been distilled in hand hammered, direct fire, alembic copper pot stills and only the very best portion of the cuts, the “heart of the hearts” has been kept at the still. To protect and enhance these delicate cereal flavors, we used 60 gallon toasted French Oak barrels, most of which formerly held Pinot Noir. These barrels contribute weight and depth to the spirit without erasing or obscuring the character of the grain, which we feel should define a premium whiskey. The result is a whiskey which we feel offers unprecedented depth, complexity, and body.
The Emerald 1865 – Straight American Whiskey
Double Gold – San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Gold Medal, Best in Category – 8th Annual American Distilling Institute Judging
90 Points – The Whiskey Wash,
World Whisky Awards – World’s Best Single Pot Still Whisky
Our interpretation of a traditional whiskey of Ireland. We grow a percentage of the barley organically on our farm, our grains are milled, mashed and fermented in small batches at our distillery and farm in the emerald hills of Sheridan, Oregon, and we distill according to our senses in our handmade, direct-‐fired alembic pot still. The Emerald matures in a mix of French and American oak for three years, and is hand bottled, capsuled, and labeled. The result is a highly aromatic spirit with the weight, richness, and complexity of its forebears.
Henry DuYore’s Rye Whiskey
Cocktails 365 – 4 Stars
Gold – Best of the Northwest, Sip NW Awards
Henry DuYore’s Rye Whiskey speaks to our aspiration to release spirits that balance the character of their grains of origin with the influence of the years passed in oak barrels. An abiding fondness for the flavor of rye inspired us to produce our own bottling. With this Rye Whiskey, we sought to temper the admirable innate feistiness of rye with the rich, supple flavor of malted barley.
WhipperSnapper
Northwest Whiskey – Stuart Ramsay’s Hogmanay Award
All good things take time. So the saying goes. And this juvenile got off to a real slow start. We took our sweet time selecting premium ingredients, meticulously milling the grain, working and fermenting the mash, and most importantly, making well-considered, ruthless cuts at the condenser. Pot distillation is a slow, lengthy process, that when done properly and patiently can take 16 hours for one pass through the still. We kept and collected only the very best fraction of distillate and lovingly placed it in Oak to mature.
Ransom Dry Gin
Washington Cup Winner
Gold Medal – San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Gold Medal – American Craft Spirits Association Judging
93 Points – Beverage Testing Institute
90 Points – Ultimate Beverage Challenge
4 Stars – BevX
4 Stars (Highly Recommeded) – F. Paul Pacult Spirit Journal
Fashioned after Holland’s renowned malt wine genevers, Ransom Dry Gin combines the maltiness and hop aromas of the style with a decidedly more intense botanical infusion. The selection of botanicals for this gin was done with tradition in mind, but we also sought to capture the essence of our terroir with the inclusion of the iconic Oregon Marionberry and local hops.
The result is a highly aromatic gin with the most compelling attributes of both genever and dry gin styles. We believe speaks meaningfully to its Dutch heritage as well as its Oregon provenance. Excellent for sipping neat, or mixed in a Collins, Improved Holland Gin, Bramble, or Kopstoot.
Old Tom Gin
Gold Medal – Seattle International Spirits Awards
Gold Medal – American Craft Spirits Association Judging 2015
Gold Medal – San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Gold Medal, Best in Category – San Diego Spirits Festival
Best of Category – 7th Annual American Distilling Institute Judging
95 Points – Tasting Panel
93 pts, Beverage Testing Institute
4.5 Stars, BevX
Top 75 5 Star Spirits- F Paul Pacult’s The Spirit Journal
5 Stars – F Paul Pacult’s The Spirit Journal
This Old Tom Gin is a historically accurate revival of the predominant Gin in fashion during the mid 1800’s and the golden age of American cocktails. The recipe was developed in collaboration with historian, author, and mixologist extraordinaire David Wondrich.
The first domestic Old Tom Gin to be released since Prohibition, Ransom’s Old Tom Gin is a pioneer in the 21st century renaissance of Old Tom Gin and barrel-aged gins. Only the “heart of the hearts” (the very best portion of distillate) is retained for this special bottling.
Ransom Grappa
2nd Place Eau de Vie / Brandy – Sip Northwest, Best of the Northwest
An elegant, effusive expression of both the varietal character of the grape and the time-honored traditions of fermentation and alembic distillation, our Grappa is carefully crafted to an unparalleled standard of quality.
We harvest aromatic white varietals at optimum ripeness and lightly press sending the free-run juice to become wine and saving pomace that still holds a high percentage of juice for grappa. The skins and pulp are immediately covered with water to prevent oxidation and fermented with yeasts selected for optimum aromatic expression.