It seems fitting that Seattle’s own 2Bar Spirits whiskey will flow when Stick Lounge hosts Roy Olmstead’s Birthday: An Evening of Whiskey Tasting and Storytelling (Most of it True) at the Stick Lounge in Des Moines this Saturday night, Sept. 20, 2025.

The 2Bar name is an homage to founder Nathan Kaiser’s family ranch in South Texas, and the distillery was inspired by stories of his family’s prohibition era moonshining.

“We can’t wait to talk, and taste, whisky in this perfect speakeasy setting,” said Kaiser. 2Bar’s Kaiser and Sonie Watson will be on hand to share the 2Bar story and whiskey portfolio, including:

  • 2BAR Amaretto Barrel Finished 90 proof
  • 2BAR Wine Barrel Finished 90 proof
  • 2BAR Bottled in Bond 100 proof
  • 2BAR Straight Bourbon Whiskey 80 proof

The event will include live storytelling by Steve Edmiston, co-creator of The Good Bootlegger’s Guild and a Humanities Washington speaker. Olmstead, once a Seattle cop turned rumrunning king, built an empire during Prohibition with charm, cunning, and a moral code that earned him the nickname “The Good Bootlegger.” His fame is owed in large part to his refusal to let his men carry guns, insisting that “no amount of whiskey is worth a human life.”

“In essence, he’s the Northwest’s Butch Cassidy with a bourbon chaser,” Edmiston said. “And his story spectacularly collides with our own Des Moines history – at the Woodmont Dock in 1925.”

Few tickets remain for the event.

Event Details

  • WHAT: Roy Olmstead’s Birthday: An Evening of Whiskey Tasting and Storytelling (Most of it True)
  • WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, 6 p.m.
  • WHERE: Stick Lounge, 22341 Marine View Dr S, Suite C, Des Moines, WA
  • SPECIAL TASTINGS: 2Bar Whiskey
  • SPEAKER: Steve Edmiston, The Good Bootlegger’s Guild
  • TICKETS: $30.00, includes whiskey tasting hosted by 2Bar Whiskey.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

…or scan this QR code:

About Stick Lounge

Stick Lounge is a community gathering space in downtown Des Moines, WA, just steps from the marina. Known for its warm, versatile setting, Stick Lounge hosts private parties, tastings, game nights, and cultural events, and also produces the Stick Lounge Podcast, highlighting local stories and voices from South King County.

About 2Bar Whiskey

Founded in Seattle in 2010, 2Bar Spirits is the city’s first bourbon distillery and a true grain-to-glass operation. Named for the founder’s family ranch in Texas, 2Bar crafts award-winning whiskey from 100% local grains and is proud of its all-female production team, blending tradition, independence, and Northwest character in every bottle.

About Steve Edmiston

Steve Edmiston is a business and entertainment lawyer, and indie film screenwriter and producer. As Humanities Washington Speaker Bureau appointee, he presented “Whiskey and Wiretaps: The Northwest’s Rumrunning King” at venues across the state for three years. He has keynoted for the Pacific Northwest Historical Society, Washington State Historical Museum, Smith Tower Rumrunner’s Club, and McMenamins History Pubs.