Our Story: Olympia Vodka, Made in Tumwater, Washington
A Washington Vodka with Deep Tumwater Roots
Olympia Artesian Vodka is a locally owned Washington vodka crafted and bottled by Olympia Distilling Co. in Tumwater, Washington. Made from corn and naturally gluten-free, our 80-proof vodka is finished with natural Tumwater artesian water to create its remarkably clean, smooth character.
But Olympia Vodka is more than what is inside the bottle. It is the story of two Washington entrepreneurs, Ray Watson and Lesa Givens, who believed an iconic Pacific Northwest name deserved a meaningful future right here at home.
From a Small Distillery to the Olympia Name
Our distilling story began in 2011, when Ray helped establish the original distillery that would later operate as Shoebox Spirits. A lifelong Pacific Northwest native, Ray brought decades of experience in refrigeration, process controls, sanitary welding, equipment design, and the stubborn belief that almost anything can be built—or improved—with enough ingenuity.
Lesa joined Ray in building the business while completing a nearly 30-year career in the insurance industry. Raised on a Washington farm, she brought an equal measure of determination, business experience, and willingness to do whatever the day required—from bottling and production to sales, marketing, and delivering cases.
In 2018, Pabst Brewing Company approached us about creating a distilled spirit under the historic Olympia name. We saw an opportunity to do something much bigger than put a familiar logo on a bottle. We could bring part of the Olympia story home to Tumwater and build its next chapter through a genuinely local, hands-on company.
We constructed Olympia Distilling Co. in Tumwater in 2019 and began operating from our new home in 2020.
It’s the Water®
The Olympia name has been connected to Tumwater’s artesian water since Leopold Schmidt founded the Capital Brewing Company in 1896. That company would later become Olympia Brewing Company and make “It’s the Water®” one of the Pacific Northwest’s most recognizable expressions.
Today, the water used in Olympia Artesian Vodka is drawn from a historic Tumwater artesian well that once supplied the Olympia Brewery. We transport it approximately three miles across town to our distillery, up to 1,000 gallons at a time.
The water’s naturally occurring minerals help give Olympia Vodka its soft mouthfeel and exceptionally smooth finish. For us, “It’s the Water®” is more than a historic slogan. It describes an ingredient, a place, and the connection between Olympia’s past and its future.
Locally Made by Real People
Olympia Distilling Co. is locally owned and operated. We are not distant caretakers of the brand. We produce, bottle, package, sell, and promote Olympia Vodka ourselves from our distillery in Tumwater.
On any given day, you may find Ray working on equipment or refining the production process while Lesa is bottling, meeting with retailers, delivering product, supporting a community event, or telling anyone who will listen why Washington deserves a great vodka of its own.
That hands-on approach has helped Olympia Artesian Vodka earn multiple gold medals in respected spirits competitions and build a growing presence in stores, restaurants, and bars throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Building Olympia’s Next Chapter
We respect Olympia’s history, but our story is not only about looking backward. It is about creating a sustainable future for an iconic Washington name through quality, hard work, local production, and community support.
Every bottle of Olympia Artesian Vodka is made for the people who remember Olympia, the people discovering it for the first time, and everyone who believes that locally made still matters.
Olympia is home. Tumwater is our source. And the next chapter is being written right here.
Drink Local. Drink Olympia.
MEET THE OWNERS & DISTILLERS
LESA GIVENS
Co-Owner | Distiller
Sales, Marketing & Operations
Raised on a Washington farm, Lesa Givens is a co-owner and distiller at Olympia Distilling Co., where she helps craft Olympia Artesian Vodka in Tumwater, Washington.
After nearly three decades in the insurance industry, Lesa left that career in 2020 to work full-time building Olympia Distilling Co. Today, she leads much of the company’s sales, marketing, retailer relationships, community outreach, and business development while remaining actively involved in distilling, bottling, packaging, production, and day-to-day operations.
Lesa is passionate about growing Olympia Artesian Vodka into one of the Pacific Northwest’s most recognized locally made spirits while keeping the company firmly connected to Tumwater and the Washington communities that have supported the Olympia name for generations.
RAY WATSON
Co-Owner | Distiller
Sales & Production Director
Ray Watson is an original founder of the distillery that eventually became Olympia Distilling Co. A lifelong Pacific Northwest native, Ray combines hands-on distilling experience with an extensive technical background in refrigeration, instrumentation, process controls, sanitary TIG welding, equipment design, and production systems.
Ray has helped design, build, and continually improve the equipment and processes used at the company’s Tumwater distillery. He oversees distilling and production, with an unwavering focus on quality, consistency, and efficiency.
His practical ingenuity and belief that almost anything can be made better have helped turn a small independent distillery into the home of Olympia Artesian Vodka—an award-winning Washington vodka crafted and bottled in Tumwater.