Our very own, Dan Simons, recently sat down with Market Watch to speak to his journey, along with longtime business partner, Michael Vucurevich, from restaurant owner and operator, in partnership with the North Dakota Farmers Union, to distilling their own line of craft spirits (pictured here) that they have built from: Farm to Glass.

“We started… by combining our vision of hospitality and restaurateurship with the mission of our partners at the North Dakota Farmers Union to advocate for American family farmers,” Dan says. “We’re able to put mission over profit. That’s what makes us different and has allowed us to stand the test of time for more than ten years. We strive for all-natural products and for transparency in what we do so that our guests can see, feel, and hear our values.”

Creating a business that supports these values, and their work to bring the food dollar back to our nation’s farmers, has parlayed their brand of successful, LEED Certified, group of restaurants into a growing line of proprietary spirits, made in-house at their downtown DC distillery, Founding Spirits, located within their Farmers & Distillers restaurant.

“The beverage piece is incredibly important because it plays such a big part in creating an experience for our guests,” he says. “Our guests like to explore different spirits and ingredients and flavors. We take the craft of mixology seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We want people to have fun and explore the drinks. When drinks bring people together around the table, it warms my heart.” He adds, “It’s incredibly rewarding.”

From the seven scratch-made, full-service restaurants they own and operate today, to their brand of spirits, including their latest offering, Founding Spirits Dry Gin, the future is poised to serve up more sustainable success for this farmer-owned food and beverage company.