Republic Restoratives
Republic Restoratives is a distillery in the Ivy City neighborhood that is owned and operated entirely by women
When Republic Restoratives opened in 2016, they were entering a quickly growing list of distilleries in DC. The two founders, with no experience in the restaurant or distilling business, were unable to secure the bank loans to start their business, so they turned to crowdfunding. In just 30 days, they exceeded their fundraising goal by almost 60 percent, making it the largest crowd-funded distillery in the world. The building that houses Republic Restoratives used to be a cafeteria for the industrial workers in the neighborhood. They have a cute, but small, bar area with a rotating list of cocktails using their own spirits and offer tours on the weekend.
The first liquor produced by Republic Restoratives was their Civic vodka – named as a nod to the community of people who helped raise the funding they needed to open. Their Rodham Rye is a blend of whiskeys sourced from other distilleries. It is named for Hillary Rodham Clinton, and was planned to be a tribute to the first woman president of the United States. When Clinton lost the election, Republic Restoratives decided to keep the name as a tribute to all women who break barriers. A portion of all sales of the Rodham Rye goes to EMILY’s List, which helps women run for office. The Chapman’s Apple Brandy is their only spirit so far to be made totally in-house, and is first brandy to be made in DC since prohibition. All the spirits at Republic Restoratives are gluten-free.
The Republic Restoratives logo has a double meaning. The crossed fingers form the letter R in American Sign Language. Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf and hard of hearing, is in the same neighborhood as the distillery. Gallaudet’s president was an ally in getting Republic Restoratives the zoning and licenses they needed to open, and the logo is an homage to the university’s presence and influence in the neighborhood. It also doubles as a sign of hope – fingers crossed that the two friends who opened Republic Restoratives will be successful in this venture.
Republic Restoratives is a whiskey distillery without the necessary distilling equipment for vodka. Their stills are stainless steel with copper plates in the columns, unlike the copper stills at other local distilleries. I appreciate that Republic Restoratives hasn’t introduced a white whiskey or “moonshine,” like many other distilleries have done, while waiting for their own to age. Instead, they have been playing with blends and finishes of whiskey, bourbon, and vodka that was distilled elsewhere.
The distillery tour at Republic Restoratives is the best tour out of the distilleries I’ve visited so far in the DC area. I love their story and focus on community, and highly recommend stopping by to drink a cocktail and check it out. However, I personally prefer the liquor at One Eight Distilling. Since Republic Restoratives hasn’t had time to release their own whiskey yet, I think it’s fair to reserve final judgement until their first batch is bottled.
Like this adventure? Subscribe to the newsletter to get updates with the latest adventures on the blog, ideas for things to do in DC, and tips for exploring the District.
Address
1369 New York Ave NE
Metro Station
- NoMa-Gallaudet U (RD)
- Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood (RD)
Cost
$12.00
Hours
Tours on Saturday at 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00 pm and Sunday at 1:00 and 3:00 pm
Length of Adventure
1 hour
Website
http://republicrestoratives.com/
