A new distillery in the Tri-Cities is hoping to solar power your alcohol.
The founders of are planning to distill vodka, gin and eventually whiskey – they would become one of the first distilleries in the Northwest to use solar power. The group calls their process “craft tech.”
“We’re trying to come up with some solar technology in the process, as well as some software, to really automate it and mix that in with the craft of the distilling industry,” said Brett Spooner, a co-founder of the distillery. “It’s a completely different animal than wine or microbreweries."
Solar Spirits hasn't been able to test the process yet. A first run should happen in the next month or two.
Kris Lapp, the other co-founder, said after years of traveling, he knows his vodka. But the group is still working with a chemist to help perfect the process.
“One of our goals with having a Ph.D. chemist is to create a chemically superior product through efficient measures and highly coordinated calculations,” Lapp said.
The idea first came from a brainstorming weekend for local entrepreneurs. The group saw creating an environmentally friendly distillery as a challenge.
Since then, the four partners have toyed with different methods of generating solar power to use in the distillation process.
Spooner said one of the biggest challenges is making solar power cost-effective.
“We can buy a couple solar panels, put it on the roof, and say we’re using solar energy, or we can really try to innovate the solar technology," Spooner said. "That’s where we’ve steered towards – trying to find grants and research to help us fund true innovation, not just story."
Right now, Spooner said, they’re looking at using solar power to preheat water. They hope to eventually help other small businesses more easily integrate solar power.
The group also wants to use recycled products, local grains, and grappa left over from wineries. The grappa would be turned into animal feed after Solar Spirits uses it.
Now that they’ve got all their licenses and zoning permits, the group hopes to be up and running this year.
First they plan to start off with the distillery and tasting room, and then they hope to expand to a second tasting room in Richland.
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Vodka martini.
