June 17, 2024
Jason Parker and Micah Nutt founded Copperworks Distilling Company in 2012 with a vision to "meet new customers where they are," specifically the downtown Seattle waterfront near top tourist attraction Pike Place Market. This strategy as a gathering place has brought a steady mix of visitors (including cruise passengers) and local clientele, particularly during the summer months. And with the Waterfront Redevelopment Project nearing completion, a new, improved, vibrant, and pedestrian-friendly waterfront is likely to draw even more new customers.
Craft brewing roots
Copperworks was founded by two craft brewing industry veterans to make American single-malt whiskey, vodka, and gin out of malted barley. The process of making single malt spirits resembles the craft brewing process. Essentially, distillers brew a beer with no hops and then put it in stills to distill the alcohol.
Parker’s journey into craft brewing began in 1989. He was the first brewer at Pike Place Brewery, now called Pike Brewing Company. After studying chemistry and microbiology at Evergreen State College, he helped open Fish Tale Ales in Olympia, and later brewed for Redhook Brewery and Pyramid Brewing Company. When Washington State legalized craft distilling, Parker combined his love of craft brewing and distilling — putting high-quality beer into the stills with no hops. “We didn't want the bitterness, and that's what we've been doing ever since,” he said.
Parker said he loves the proximity of Copperworks to downtown attractions, restaurants, Elliott Bay charter boats, tours, and the cruise industry. To draw in visitors, Copperworks focuses on sampling and distillery tours and experiences. Experiences include barrel tastings, workshops for blending barrels, and coming soon — cocktails.
Cruise passenger buzz
Once April hits, Parker can see a noticeable uptick in business as cruise passengers on their way to or from Alaska stop by the tasting room. Cruise passengers boost the distillery's business by 20 to 30% in the summer.
Now in its 25th year of cruises between Seattle and Alaska, cruise tourism has become a significant part of the local economy, contributing to hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs, and bringing nearly $900 million to the region in economic impact. And bolstering small, local businesses like Copperworks.
“It’s been really great seeing those new faces and it also warms up the tasting room, having all of these people visiting and learning about us. And I can't tell you how many times somebody tells us ‘I'm visiting Seattle and one of my friends who has been to your tasting room said this is a must stop.’ ”
Cruise ship restrictions prevent passengers from bringing their own alcohol on ships, but that’s where Copperworks online sales program comes in – customers can have purchases shipped home for their return, or they can visit the website later to make a purchase. “We like it when they come in before their trip, learn what they want to take home with them, and then come back after the trip and make their purchases,” Parker said.
Passengers will also pick up Copperworks’ branded t-shirts, hats, and glassware for a lasting reminder of their vacation. He said cruise passengers are almost always looking for something to take back home with them that is more than just a photograph — they are seeking a physical memory they can share with somebody. Branded items with the word “Seattle” included are a hit with cruise passengers as a reminder of their Seattle experience long after the trip is over.
Without cruise passengers packing the tasting room during summer months, Parker said business would be a lot slower, a lot less profitable, and “we wouldn’t really have as much fun.”
“When this room is filled, it's quite a buzz and people seem to feed off of that. They literally talk between tables and tell their stories about where they're visiting from. And for some strange reason, it seems to go through cycles,” Parker said. “Everybody in the room is from Montana that hour, and then two hours later they're all from Denver. Three hours later, they're all from the East Coast; they all just connect. We just serve them samples and they make the party happen.”
Lasting relationships
Parker said improvements along Alaskan Way, including sidewalks on both sides of the street, have increased safety and walkability, and are bringing in more foot traffic to Copperworks. Parker and staff always recommend other nearby businesses where cruise passengers and tourists can find delicious meals nearby. They work with local concierge groups to make sure recommendations go both directions.
“They send people to us; we send people to them. It's been really fun having that activation downtown and the cruise ships bring in all those people that then create that buzz and those connections.”
Parker said with thousands of people coming in off the ships every day Copperworks gets a brand-new set of customers with each visit. His team makes a conscious effort to form relationships and turn them into lifetime customers.
“Sometimes they even become investors in the company. So we end up with really good partnerships who then return and tell their friends to return. It's been only possible to grow by being in our waterfront location. And the cruise industry has really helped with that. Not only are all the construction upgrades helping, but tourism is also helping, and the new Convention Center is helping to make this a really great destination.”
You don't have to be downtown to experience Copperworks spirits — the artisanal spirits can be found in 400 bars and restaurants, grocery stores, and liquor stores in Washington State.
“You don't have to come (to the tasting room) to buy something, but you can stumble onto us or bring your friends down here,” said Parker, cofounder and president of Copperworks. “That's been our focus, and it's working pretty well.”
Copperworks’ success downtown has allowed Parker to open a second location in Kenmore. The cocktail bar and tasting room have been open for five months. By this summer it will also include a farm-to-table restaurant. There are also plans for a third location in Post Alley, right next to Pike Place Market’s iconic gum wall, in the works.
