Lodestar Whiskey
Lodestar Whiskey is an independent craft spirits brand based in Los Angeles, California, making whiskey.
About Lodestar Whiskey
Lodestar Whiskey is a women-founded and led whiskey brand from Los Angeles, made to bring people together. Its founders noticed that whiskey was almost exclusively served as a man's drink, so they set out to craft their own and invite everyone to the party.
Lodestar embodies the laid-back lifestyle of its California base and the universal truth that life's special moments are always better when shared. The mission is to create community wherever they go, and to inspire people to gather, connect, and celebrate the company they keep. Lodestar was the first whiskey backed by Distill Ventures' Pre-Accelerator program, which supports founders from underrepresented communities in the drinks industry.
The Founders
Lodestar was founded by cousins Anna Axster and Wendelin von Schroder, who spent over a decade working in music and film. What they loved most about that work was bringing people together over shared experiences. They acquired a taste for whiskey backstage and in countless venues, bars, and restaurants across the country.
When the pandemic brought their entertainment work to a halt, they wrote a detailed flavor brief for the whiskey they wanted to drink, then traveled to distilleries across the country to taste, learn, and find production partners. As they put it, they did not come at this as longtime whiskey experts or distillers, and they were not restrained by the industry's usual limitations.
How Lodestar Whiskey makes its spirits
Lodestar follows the flavor, not the rules. Rather than distilling a single style, the founders blend Straight High Rye Bourbon with American Single Malt Whiskey, a combination that is unusual for the category. The rye side brings caramel, citrus, and warm baking spice, and the single malt adds an approachable, smooth malted finish.
The whiskey is blended, proofed down to 90 proof, and bottled by Cardinal Spirits, a small independent producer in Indiana, then shipped to California.
Details
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA
- Founded
- 2023
- Website
- www.lodestarwhiskey.com
- @lodestarwhiskey
Gallery
Meet the Team
Anna Axster
Co-Founder
Spent over a decade in music and film before co-founding Lodestar with her cousin Wendelin.
Wendelin von Schroder
Co-Founder
Spent over a decade in music and film before co-founding Lodestar with her cousin Anna.
Cocktails
11 recipesDrink Your Greens
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz Lodestar Whiskey
- 2 oz fresh pressed green apple juice
- 1 oz fresh pressed fennel juice
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
Directions
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake 5 times. Strain into a glass over fresh ice. For a sweeter drink, use 1 oz simple syrup.
Espresso Tonic
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz Lodestar Whiskey
- 1 shot light roast espresso
- 7-10 oz tonic water
- Orange peel, for garnish
Directions
Add tonic water to a glass with ice and add the orange peel garnish. In a separate glass, pull a shot of light roast espresso and add the whiskey. Slowly pour the whiskey and espresso over the back of a spoon into the tonic glass.
Spirits by Lodestar Whiskey
1 expressionFeatured in The Backbar
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