Never Too Late
w
the Story of the Hardware Distillery Co.
Written By Rockwell Rutter Photography by Amanda Joy Christensen
hat do two sexagenarians do when they’ve got a passion for fine spirits and time on their hands? The only thing you can do:
start their own artisan distillery. Husband and wife team Chuck and Jan Morris first began toying with the idea of hand-crafted alcohol when they helped their son Cody start his own craft brewery, Epic Ales. Jan, an attorney with 25 years of experience, began taking classes to help her son navigate the tumultuous waters of licensing, distribution and other complicated aspects of the business. Meanwhile Chuck, a long-time structural engineer, began putting his talents to work in bringing the brewery facility up to code and outfitting it with the proper equipment. Five years later, what began as a family effort has become a successful contributor to the craft brew world. In the meantime, Chuck and Jan were getting restless; when Jan got laid-off from her position as an attorney, she set about finding the next addition to her already diverse skill set. When advised that she look to past experiences to help guide her, the family convened again and began discussing how a distillery could complement Cody’s thriving Epic Ales brewery. The consummate researchers, Chuck and Jan soon found that a nearby community college was holding week-long workshops in the art, science and business of artisan distilling. They signed up, took the course and the decision was made: the Morris’
make unusual demands like, “Barrels must be stored on
would be distillers.
end, not on their sides.” Chuck, though, knew better. Using
The local workshops provided them with a great resource
the knowledge of building codes he learned as a structural
of practical information. The education they gathered
engineer, he was able to cut through some of the red tape
became the bedrock for them to grow their dreams as a
and move forward. Similarly, various government offices
business. They also made friends with fellow distillers,
have gotten involved regarding the installation of a costly
and received the encouragement and support needed to
fire sprinkler system. Even though the distillery is the only
propel them forward at a breakneck pace.
business in Hoodsport, WA to have one, correspondence with
Soon after embarking on this journey, however, Chuck
government officials has taken weeks, sometimes months.
and Jan found themselves met with opposition from
How does a husband and wife team like the Morris’ stay
almost every angle. By being the first applicant for a
motivated when it seems like there’s no light at the end of the
distiller’s license in Mason County, WA, building officials
tunnel? According to Jan, “We’re generally not discouraged at
didn’t quite know what to do with them. They would
the same time. When things get tough, we’ve learned to lift
8 www.ArtisanSpiritmag.com