Help Save Treecraft Distillery

Treecraft  is more than a distillery. It’s a dream in the process of realization. Founders Gordon and Nate are two of the most sincere, dedicated, and passionate craft distillers operating in the Bay Area. For them, “grain-to-glass” is an ethos, not a tagline. And they regularly take action to affect a positive influence on their community.

As business owners, the LGBTQ+ community is disproportionately under-represented. Consequently, Treecraft is not just rare for California. It’s one of only a handful of gay and lesbian owned distilleries in the country.

Their story began in 2013 when Nate discovered a mini-Alembic still on Amazon’s Deal of the Day. Enamored, Gordon offered Nate his 1932 treehouse in Sonoma to pursue his new passion. Nate showed talent from the beginning when his new hobby produced tasty, albeit rustic apple brandy, and Treecraft Spirits was born.

Eight years later, armed with a certificate from the Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky, and countless hours at the still, Nate consistently crafts award-winning whiskey, gin, rum, and vodka from a 500-gallon custom copper pot still—one of the largest in North America.

They also produce a lucrative entry-level spirits line called Bay Bridge designed for “well” placement in bars and restaurants. Gordon and Nate extend the same ethos to their ready-to- drink craft cocktails, house-made tonic water, mixers, and bitters.

Their charming distillery occupies the ambulance bay of a retired military fire station on Treasure Island.

“It’s hard to think of a better way to spend a beautiful day than at Treecraft Distillery’s outdoor tasting room.”—Diablo Magazine 

Again, Treecraft’s “grain-to-glass” philosophy is not just a tagline. It’s an ethos. One Gordon and Nate take seriously. They source all raw materials within a 100-mile radius of their distillery on Treasure Island. Their grain is 100% open-source and heirloom varieties from Adam’s Grain and  malt from Admiral Maltings  in Alameda.

They even keep bees! The honey from which contributes to the base spirit in their popular Lavender-Hibiscus Gin. And they infuse their decadent Chocolate Bourbon with cocoa nibs from Dandelion Chocolate —another San Francisco artisan going above and beyond the standards for responsible business. Nate also has a vision for a lavender-scented community garden nourished by spent mash and wastewater and artfully designed to adorn their event space.

Treecraft’s holistic approach to business extends far beyond production methods into community engagement.

They just launched a collaborative fund-raiser with Oakland Art Murmur promoting BIPOC and transgender artists. Treecraft donates 20% of the sales on each limited edition bottle of vodka to Art Murmur, with 5% of each sale flowing directly to the artist featured on the label. “Each artist also received a $1,000 stipend for their participation in the program,” says Gordon.

 

 Other organizations they support include Frameline43, an LGBTQ film festival, the Sf LGBT Center, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. They also contribute to the SF Gay Softball League, Boys and Girls Club, and the American Heart Association.

The list goes on. They even opened their books to an MBA marketing class at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business to support local education.

Against mounting financial limitations, Gordon and Nate secured two Silver medals and one Gold medal in the 2020 Sunset Magazine spirits competition. And they're ranked number 15 by USA today for their craft gin.

Not surprisingly, orders are flooding in. “For Oakland Art Murmur, we’ve already sold and shipped 250 pre-sale bottles direct to consumers through our website and at the event. Retailer interest is enthusiastic, and we’re hustling to pack orders scheduled to ship out next week,” says Nate. They just received a 224 case order for their vodka, and Oakland Art Murmur is already starting to plan the next edition of artist labels for December.

Treecraft’s financial challenges began early. Their gorgeous pot-still arrived nine months late. And when it finally came, it was defective due to improper engineering from the manufacturer. Nate spent five months making the necessary modifications to make it operable. By the time they were ready to start distilling, they’d been paying rent for 14 months.

“It’s been an uphill battle ever since,” says Gordon.

Just when they’d fought their way clear of danger, the pandemic forced them to close their outdoor tasting room and 1800 square foot event space—a source of revenue they relied on for operational costs. Both areas are still closed, bogged down by food service regulations.

Despite these initial setbacks, they’ve secured placement in over 90 prominent restaurants, bars, and retailers throughout the Bay Area. They have five-star reviews on Google  and TripAdvisor  and a 4.5-star rating on Yelp .

Other opportunities make Treecraft a prime business model for success. Their type 74 liquor license allows them to sell up to three bottles per person per day right out of the tasting room. And Treasure Island is currently the site of a 6 billion dollar renovation project.

Donations from this GoFundMe campaign will lift their loan out of forbearance and rescue Nate and Gordon’s hard-won passion project from the bank. But we have to act fast. Their forbearance expires on June 1st. Only two weeks from now!

They recently secured an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, a state grant, and a stipend from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. But these funds are for growing the business, not paying off debt. They need to renovate their kitchen—build walls, pour concrete, install a hand washing sink and food warmers, and hire service staff—to get their tasting and event spaces up and running.  Consequently, 100% of the proceeds from this campaign will go towards lifting their original loan out of forbearance.  Even if they don't reach the goal, your support will buy Nate and Gordon more time to seek investors and renegotiate the terms of their loan.  So even small contributions make a big difference.

We know it's not much, but to thank you for your donation, we're throwing in some Treecraft swag (while supplies last):

$1-100                – Your choice of a Treecraft sticker or magnet

$101-200             – Treecraft gift card $10

$201-300            – Treecraft gift card $15

$301-400            – Treecraft gift card $20

$401-600            – Treecraft T-shirt

$601-800            – Treecraft Hat

$801-1000          – Treecraft Polo

$1000 and above – A night at the distillery for you and up to 20 of your guests

 

 Orders are mounting, and funds for production are running on empty. Nate and Gordon are in dire need of a life preserver. Your generous contribution could save a dedicated artisan distiller and help prop up underserved communities.

We need to keep community-minded LGBTQ+-owned businesses profitable! We can’t let another privately owned business fall victim to Covid. Especially one that supports and promotes BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists and entrepreneurs.

Thank you in advance for your support. Your contribution does more than save Treecraft. It creates a ripple effect of opportunity in LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities throughout the Bay Area. And ultimately improves cultural and financial health for all of us.

Cheers to that!

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