Brad Irwin
Owner
Craft whiskey has three main ingredients… Grain, water and passion. Brad Irwin found all three in his hometown of Bend, Oregon. In 2009, Brad & his wife Kathy began the journey that would eventually turn into Central Oregon’s first grain to bottle whiskey distillery, Oregon Spirit Distillers. Grain & water were easy to source; Central Oregon’s unique climate provided plenty of corn, barley, wheat, rye & spring water from the Cascade Mountains. Brad’s passion for history, tradition & the simplicity of a well made spirit is what sets Oregon Spirit Distillers apart from the rest. After 10 years of playing the role of head distiller, Brad has passed the role to his carefully selected distilling team. As owner and CEO, he is able to focus on growing Oregon Spirit Distillers as a national brand as well as making time for his other passion; his family.
Brandy Pieper
Head Distiller
Brandy moved to Bend in 2016 for the mountains and the craft beer scene; her path luckily lead her to the production floor of Oregon Spirit Distillers. The combination of natural ambition, a biology degree from the University of Tennessee and a few bartending skills made Brandy a perfect fit when the position of Head Distiller opened up. When she’s not distilling, you can find her riding the mountain (on skis, a snowboard or a bike) or searching a thrift store for hidden treasures. Brandy’s drink of choice? A neat pour of Oregon Spirit Rye Whiskey, or a nicely chilled Negroni.
Michael May
Production Distiller
Michael is a transplant from Ohio, where he earned a BS in Chemical Engineering before embarking on a career dedicated to Health, Safety and Environmental Engineering. He joined the Oregon Spirit Distillers team; laughingly declaring that he is now fulfilling his passion for fermentation. Leaving behind an epic journey in the environmental field – investigating and cleaning up toxic, hazardous and radioactive waste sites – he finally is able to relax and (remarkably) measure the product of his work … by Taste!
When he’s not making spirits, Michael loves to travel – exploring the desert landscapes, waterfalls, mountain trails and ocean vistas that have been preserved here in Oregon.
Oregon Spirit Distillers drink of choice: Corpse Reviver #2.