How Whiskey Won Washington
with Humanities Washington
Friday, August 07
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Clallam Bay Branch Library
Clallam Bay Community Meeting RoomExplore the history of whiskey in Washington with author and journalist Becky Garrison.
Washington has a mixed history with liquor. Efforts to ban or restrict it date back to 1854, before the region even attained statehood, and “blue laws” remained on the books well into the twentieth century. Yet a modern craft distilling boom is happening in the Evergreen State, and our distillers have emerged as forerunners in the burgeoning American Single Malt revolution.
How did whiskey inspire both trouble and innovation? How did its import by settlers affect Indigenous communities and other groups? And how did whiskey play a role in the very creation of our state?
Join author and journalist Becky Garrison as she distills the history of the barrel and the bottle in our state. Meet Jimmie Durkin, an enterprising saloon owner, and Roy Olmstead, a former Seattle cop turned gentleman bootlegger, and other fascinating figures who turned to the business of liquor.
Presentation Schedule
Port Angeles Main Library: Thursday, August 6, 5:30pm
Clallam Bay Branch Library: Friday, August 7, 1:30pm
Forks Branch Library: Friday, August 7, 5:30pm
About the Presenter
A graduate of Yale Divinity School and Columbia University School of Social Work, Becky Garrison has been covering this region’s food, beer, and liquor culture for over a decade. Garrison’s nine books include Distilled in Washington: A History, the first book that documents the history of distilling in our state. The book was selected as a Top Ten Spirited Awards 2025 Nominee by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. In her work, Garrison seeks to explore the intersections of craft culture, sustainability, spirituality, and community building.
Event Partner
Humanities Washington is a nonprofit organization dedicated to opening minds and bridging divides by creating spaces to explore different perspectives. For more about Humanities Washington, visit humanities.org.
Summer Reading Program
This event is part of the Summer Reading Program, generously supported by local Friends of the Library groups.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Special Events | Arts, Music & Culture |
Clallam Bay Branch Library
Hours
About the Branch
With a broad collection, community meeting room, free Wi-Fi and easy access from State Highway 112, the Clallam Bay Branch Library is popular with locals and tourists alike.