Maker Spotlight: DRAM Apothecary

For this weeks maker spotlight, we spoke with Shae Whitney from DRAM Apothecary, a company producing artisanal bitters, syrups, switchels, and tea.

No longer reserved for dimly lit speakeasy's or fancy dinner parties, DRAM Apothecary brings the class of a cocktail right to your living room with simple yet flavorful mixes.

Using local-to-the-area herbs and plants foraged from their organic farm and surrounding countryside of Salida, Colorado, creative couple Shae and Brady are able to keep their products simple and fresh without compromising their ingredients. DRAM's products are free of dyes, preservatives, gluten and natural flavorings which set them apart from other flavored bitters producers. 

It is truly a gift to come across and support a business built on these principles. We are proud to sell DRAM Apothecary at Lineage, and we hope that our conversation with Shae will inspire you to try some of their amazing products for yourself.

What led you to start Dram Apothecary? Have you always wanted to own your own business?

DRAM was started unintentionally when my partner Brady Becker and I began making bitters for our own use. At the time I had been working in the bar industry for several years so bar owners and managers I knew became interested in purchasing the bitters we were making. Before we knew it we had little company on our hands.

It says on your website that you forage a lot of the materials used in your products. Can you explain what this process looks like?

This process first involved learning about the edible plants in Colorado, how to identify them and where to find them. We then go into areas of the wilderness where it’s legally allowed to harvest the plants we’re seeking and collect less than 10% of the total population, as is the general rule of wild foraging and conservation. 


What are some things you enjoy doing in your free time?

Hiking with my 3 dogs, Mushroom hunting, video games, reading, cooking. I’m definitely a homebody. 

You recently rebranded and we love the new aesthetic look of your products. What inspired this new direction?

We’ve been making our products for nearly 8 years now and felt it was time for a change. In those 8 yearswe’ve both changed a lot as people, and we moved our home base from the mountains of Colorado to the high desert prairie town of Salida, the gateway to the Southwest. We wanted to reflect these changes in our new branding.
We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Shae. Explore our online store or visit our brick and mortar location for a wide selection of DRAM's bitters and syrups. You can also check out their website where they post fun, easy to follow cocktail and mocktail recipes using their products.

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