Beyond Whiskey: How Westland Gives Back

At Westland Distillery, making whiskey has never been just about what goes into the bottle. It’s about what we put back into the world. As we celebrate B Corp Month, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the ways we invest in the future—of whiskey, of our region, and of the planet.

From partnering with regional growers to strengthen local food systems, to sharing our whiskey casks with breweries, to rolling up our sleeves for environmental restoration, we’re committed to building a better future. Because the community around us shapes our culture, our environment, and ultimately, our whiskeys.

Since day one, Westland has been driven by a spirit of exploration. It’s what led us to create and champion American Single Malt whiskey and what continues to push us forward. That same spirit compels us to look beyond the glass—to the fields, the farmers, and the future of agriculture.

Our region, the Pacific Northwest, is a gold mine for grain growers. Its rich soil and temperate climate create ideal conditions for barley, making it one of the nation’s top-yielding regions. Early in our journey, we connected with Dr. Stephen Jones and the WSU Bread Lab, an organization dedicated to rethinking grain production in the U.S. Together, we’ve been working to cultivate new barley varieties designed to withstand climate volatility and add distinct flavors to whiskey—a true exploration of terroir.

By working directly with boutique maltsters and local growers, we’ve helped create a guaranteed market for farmers eager to experiment with heritage grains. It’s a win-win: farmers gain a sustainable income source on what was previously giving them a loss, and we gain access to exceptional raw materials that express the character of our region. Barley also helps replenish nitrogen in the soil, making it a sustainable rotational crop—another small but meaningful step toward regenerating the land we rely on.

At Westland, our whiskey casks do more than hold liquid—they build community. Early on, our award-winning warehouse manager, and avid beer enthusiast, fielded countless inquiries from local breweries eager to repurpose our casks for aging, finishing, and fermenting their beers. Since bourbon legally requires new oak barrels for aging, there has long been a secondary market for used casks. But as an American Single Malt distillery, we aren’t bound by those regulations. This flexibility sparked an idea: what if we shared our casks with local brewers for temporary use, then brought them back to finish our whiskey?

Thus, the Westland Cask Exchange was born. Since its inception, we’ve shared barrels with over 30 breweries throughout the Pacific Northwest, resulting in a diverse range of beer-casks for finishing our whiskeys. This very program was the foundation for our now-core product, Beer Cask Finish. We fill casks with our new make spirit to create single malt whiskey, then after we bottle that whiskey the cask goes to a brewer. The brewer uses the cask for aging a beer, then after bottling returns the cask to Westland. We use the beer cask for finishing whiskey, a whole lifecycle that includes a beautiful back-and-forth.

But the lifecycle of a cask doesn’t end there. Once barrels reach retirement—too leaky or worn to hold liquid—we give them a second, third, and even fourth life. Through our Retired Cask Sale, we invite the community to repurpose these barrels for home projects, furnishings, and more. Each cask carries its own story, and we love seeing them live on in new and creative ways.

Our whiskey is a story of place, and we believe in protecting the place that makes our whiskeys possible.

Each year, the Westland team shuts down their computers and heads outdoors for a hands-on environmental stewardship day. Over the years, we’ve partnered with Forterra, a Washington-based land conservation organization, to plant and maintain Garryana oak saplings—the same rare and regionally specific oak we use for our Garryana whiskey. By helping restore this native species, we’re preserving a vital part of the Pacific Northwest’s ecosystem and the unique flavor it imparts to our whiskey.

In recent years, we’ve expanded our stewardship efforts to 21 Acres, a regenerative organic farm outside of Seattle. There, we’ve worked to enrich soil health, encourage biodiversity, and support sustainable farming practices—all with the belief that healthier farmland means a healthier future for everyone.

Beyond these annual initiatives, we’ve woven environmental care into our company culture. Each month, we host an outdoor activity challenge for our team—running, walking, or cycling through the greater Seattle area. The employee who logs the most miles earns a donation from Westland to the charity of their choice. It’s a small way to stay active, give back, and keep the environment close to our hearts.

At Westland, giving back isn’t a campaign—it’s part of who we are. Whether we’re investing in regenerative agriculture, sharing resources with local purveyors, or getting our hands dirty planting oak trees, we believe in doing the work that shapes a better future. Because whiskey, at its best, is a product of time, place, and people. And when we care for all three, we create something that lasts—something worth raising a glass to.