Bottoms up. West Bottoms Whiskey Co., a whiskey-exclusive distillery, is joining the Drink Up Month festivities with their spirit of innovation, optimism, and industrialization found in the historic West Bottoms district.

Editor Bella sat down with founder + master distiller Alex Lindsey to chat about the biz — plus, stay tuned to the end for details on the KCtoday drink special.

Q: What is the origin of WBWC?

A: I started distilling on my own over a decade ago. Loved the process, was bad at home brewing. I started experimenting with what I was distilling and sharing that with friends and family, and really I started getting consistent feedback of 'I don't like whiskey but I like this.' So maybe I could come up with a good whiskey and market it like that.

Q: Tell us more about your whiskey.

A: We are a whiskey distillery and pride ourselves in making really interesting whiskey. Our Kansas City Whiskey is comprised of a bourbon and a rye, with a very dry sherry — which was used very traditionally in the pre-prohibition time period. Our goal is to make innovative American spirits.

History + whiskey = a necessary KCtoday feature. | Photo by KCtoday

Q: Why the West Bottoms?

A: We're down here in the West Bottoms because of our appreciation for the history of the pre-prohibition time period — we're actually located in a pre-prohibition train tunnel. When you walk around, it just reeks of history.

Q: What is the experience you want people to have here?

A: I want people to experience the West Bottoms in general through our taproom. Plus, getting people to really experience whiskey through cocktails. We want to be a welcoming space for people.

Drink Up special

The KC Sour will be 25% off when you mention KCtoday, Tuesday, July 11-Saturday, July 15. The cocktail is like a NY sour cocktail and has a red wine float. Cheers.