Wildwood Spirits Co. opening later this month

The long-awaited opening of Wildwood Spirits Co. is here—the new distillery will open its Ballard location in late April.

Owners Zoey and Erik Liedholm have lived in Ballard for over a decade and currently operate Wildwood Spirits distillery and tasting room in Bothell. The new location is on the corner of NW 53rd St and 14th Ave NW.

“We had a few setbacks along the way but we finally see light at the end of the tunnel (and it’s not an oncoming train). Our stills are in transit from Germany and will arrive after we open the tasting room,” Erik told My Ballard.

The Liedholms opened the first location in Bothell in 2015, with the goal of creating a “farm-to-bottle” craft distillery, focusing on local ingredients. Erik, Wildwood’s head distiller, has a strong background in food and wine; he is an advanced sommelier and earned a Master Distilling Certificate from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in London.

Zoey’s background is in theater and clothing design; she manages designing their labels and other visual materials. Their business partner is Chef John Howie from John Howie Restaurants.

The Liedholms tell My Ballard that they use local ingredients whenever possible: Their distilled grains are from Washington farms, and the apples and Douglas fir for the gin come from the Liedholm’s backyard in Ballard.

Wildwood is rooted in Swedish heritage, paying homage to Erik’s cultural background. Many of their spirits’ names are Swedish words, and the name of the distillery is named after the street Erik grew up on in East Lansing, Michigan. The house on the logo is Erik’s childhood home.

Wildwood’s spirits started with their Stark Vatten Vodka and Kur Gin, but have since added a Washington bourbon called The Dark Door, an Irish-style whiskey named The Professor, and a non-alcoholic gin named Ginnocence. Other creations include the Solgud Orange and Fennel Liquer and Arände Grappa.

Photos courtesy Erik Liedholm