The Story Behind Our
We build our handcrafted spirits from the ground up in Maine because we understand you can't fake genuine quality. It takes better ingredients and small batches. It requires a commitment to doing things the right way rather than the popular way. It means having the passion and patience to personally own every single step of the spirit-making process.
And it isn't easy.
We start with whole Maine potatoes, not potato starch like the big producers. We triple-distill our spirits in a copper pot still because it delivers the perfect level of refinement. We bottle and number each batch by hand to ensure its authenticity. The end result is quality handcrafted gin and vodkas that promise a true American spirit and truly good taste.
Our Potatoes
Our vodka and gin begin with potatoes we get from Green Thumb Farms, which is owned by Donnie Thibodeau, a founder/partner of Maine Distilleries. These premium spuds serve as the base ingredient for all of our handcrafted spirits because they deliver exceptional quality. We partner with Green Thumb Farms to ensure the integrity of each batch and because we believe a true handcrafted spirit can be traced back to its roots in the field.
Our commitment to using Maine potatoes is also reflective of our desire to preserve both the tradition of the family farm and the open spaces that define Maine. We are dedicated to a sustainable farming model and green practices that - while not always easy - reflect the right way to build a genuine product we can be proud of.
Our Maine potatoes, distilled into some of the finest spirits in the world, take confidence in knowing that each bottle of Cold River delivers a true ground-to-glass experience.
How We Make Small-Batch
Our small-batch spirits are made with an unmatched attention to detail. We take pride in owning every single step of the process to ensure genuine quality. We start with whole Maine potatoes and triple-distill our spirits in a copper pot still using the pure waters from Maine's Cold River. Our blueberries and botanicals are steeped for the perfect amount of time before being mixed with 100% potato alcohol to form our Blueberry Flavored Vodka and Traditional Gin. We then bottle and number each batch by hand to ensure its authenticity.
Genuine Passion
Cold River is the brainchild of a unique team of Mainers that share a passion for handcrafted spirits. We set out to create authentic super-premium vodkas and gin that deliver genuinely good taste.
An experienced craftsman in most all things alcohol related, Chris has 20+ years in the alcohol beverage industry. Before partnering in the creation of the Cold River Distillery, Chris designed and built dozens of breweries across North America. When Chris is not at the distillery, he can be found at the Man in the Moon farm in New Gloucester, with his wife Jean and two charming high schoolers.
Chris recommends:
Distiller’s Reserve with a little bit of ice
Wife, Mother, Gin Lover. Maybe it should be Cold River Gin Lover.
Tim grew up in Freeport Maine and graduated from Freeport High School in 2006 and The University of Maine in 2011. Has been with Cold River since December of 2005.
Tim recommends:
Gin & Tonic
Gin & Tonic
Adam was born and raised in Saco, ME where he graduated from Thornton Academy class of 2000 and went on to graduate from the Art Institute of San Diego, CA class of 2004 with a Bachelors of Science in Culinary Management. He spent the last 26 years working in the restaurant industry both locally and abroad helming some award winning kitchens throughout his career. Adam is also an avid home brewer, gardener, goat farmer and outdoorsman. He lives happily with his wife, 3 dogs and 6 goats on their little farm in Dayton, ME.
Adam recommends:
A Distillers Reserve Kentucky Mule with a splash of Cold River Blueberry Vodka
A New Hampshire native, Brian has been in the business since he was 19 years old. He has worked his way through various aspects of the trade. After a successful career with the NHSLC, he ventured to become a Sales Consultant for a major Wine and Spirits representation company. An avid baseball fan and a father of two, Brian likes relax and enjoy the simpler things in life.
Brian recommends:
Cold River Blueberry Lemonade
