By Karen Meyer

In January 2024, Experience Whidbey was launched to connect tourists and island locals to the one-of-a-kind craft beverage producers in the community. A map brochure, online presence, and social media hub, Experience Whidbey is as much a resource for visitors as it is a promotion of the island’s craft beverage entrepreneurship.

“We are truly an island-wide initiative, with producers as far south as Clinton and all the way up to Oak Harbor,” said Co-Founder Dave Meyer. “This island is an inspiring place to live, and we believe it fosters a community of creators, risk-takers, and explorers—the result is a perfect blend of island and innovation that makes these Experience Whidbey destinations so unique.”

A feeling of serenity washes over you when you arrive on Whidbey Island. Whether you drive across Deception Pass Bridge or disembark from the iconic Washington State ferry, you immediately breathe more easily and think more clearly while imagining the possibilities of this place. This is what Karen Meyer imagines her Irish ancestors felt when they came to Whidbey Island in the 1850s and began their new lives here. Moving here a few years ago, Karen and her husband Dave embarked on their new life and immediately became immersed in the Whidbey community. While exploring the island, they visited local craft beverage businesses, met the owners and operators, learned about the sourcing of local ingredients, and above all else, felt the strong connection between these entrepreneurs. Impressed with the depth of these relationships, Karen and Dave decided to do their part to support the craft beverage community and in 2024 launched Experience Whidbey—a craft beverage resource for visitors and locals. Now, more than two years in, Karen checked in with Dave and a few of their Experience Whidbey partners to reflect on the program.

Today, the Experience Whidbey “family” includes 11 partners, with four wineries, two breweries, two distilleries, two cideries, and a meadery. The newest partner in the program, Glendale Shepherd, is the first distillery in North America to produce vodka and gin from sheep whey. “The distilling of spirits using sheep whey is truly environmentally inspired and innovative,” said Dave. “It really speaks to the creativity of local entrepreneurs to not only deliver a quality product, but to do it in a way that celebrates and takes care of our island.”

Group of four people sitting at a table while a man pours mead into sample glasses — *The tasting room at Hierophant Meadery.*

In addition to the initiative’s 11 partners, Experience Whidbey is supported by numerous local businesses throughout the island. “We are incredibly fortunate to have business supporters that recognize the importance of promoting our island’s offerings and encouraging locals and visitors to really experience what Whidbey is all about,” said Dave. “We couldn’t do this without our craft beverage partners or supporters who see the impact we can have as a community when working together.”

Along with the craft beverage map, Dave, a graphic designer, cinematographer, and photographer, works with the partners to tell their story. Whether that’s through a Meet the Maker style video that highlights the craft beverage process or taking photos at an event at one of the partners’ tasting rooms, it’s all about highlighting the entrepreneurship, unique mission, and pride that each producer has and sharing that with the community.

It is a community-centric approach that is seen at each Experience Whidbey location—providing a gathering place, sharing their entrepreneurship journeys, and supporting one another. In all of this, they’ve each carved out their own paths—from tasting room décor to production techniques and business philosophy—but are firmly rooted in Whidbey and creating a space that celebrates their craft.

Vineyard with a barn in the background surrounded by fir trees with a blue sky above — *A view of the vineyard at Spoiled Dog Winery.*

For Michelle Scandalis of Hierophant Meadery, the reward is the community. “Our property and tasting room aren’t just an alcohol production and tasting facility,” she said. “Hierophant is a location for the important holding and regeneration of meaningful gatherings—special community-wide events celebrating the seasons and lifting us all up together. We are grateful for the community that has developed around Hierophant, and the greatest reward for our work is absolutely the feeling of celebrating with like-minded people.”

Experience Whidbey partner and Whidbey Island Distillery Co-Owner Mike Huffman is proud to be a part of the Whidbey community and nurtures the relationship every day. “I like to think that we support our island community by offering products and a space that are as unique as the island we call home. In fact, I believe the community supports us even more than we support them,” he said. “Our products are available in all the major grocery stores and restaurants that serve spirits. We also have many local visitors who enjoy bringing friends and family to our location when they come to the island. We are here every day because we are always producing and that keeps the business open seven days a week, which is rare here on the island.”

“Experience Whidbey supports small businesses and makers collaboratively and offers support and marketing opportunities that are a wonderful gift.”

For many of the partners, it is local and regional raw ingredients that also keep them rooted in the community. Grapes, apples, berries, and botanicals are all available within the state, and in some cases, grown or sourced on Whidbey Island. It’s a full cycle celebration of local—from agriculture to community—that makes these partners an important part of the island’s identity.

And, as with many entrepreneurs, there are unique challenges they face in day-to-day operations, at times magnified by being on an island. CJ Powell, owner of Misfit Island Cider Company, balances operating as a small business in the City of Langley while maintaining a low-scale production. “As a micro-producer, our production scale is small, which means our costs are often higher than larger operations,” he said. “Balancing quality, sustainability, and affordability while staying true to our craft is something we work at every day.”

“There are certainly many challenges with being a craft beverage producer, especially when you are doing business in a rural area. Sourcing materials, keeping products available for both our neighbors and for distribution, and coordinating the many moving parts involved in a manufacturing business are all challenges,” said Michelle. “We have been fortunate to not be very affected by statistics around current retail buying habits, because our brand and our products reflect the shift in what people are seeking in craft beverages as being values based, clean, and sustainable. We are finding that we continue to rise despite the challenges many industry peers are facing. I love seeing the shift toward conscious and sustainable practices as a response to consumer demand.”

“Being part of Experience Whidbey is valuable because it’s a local promotion group that truly understands the nuances of living and running a business on a small island.”

The Experience Whidbey resources have filled a void—a much-needed and concise source for ensuring the continuing success of its partners. Perhaps CJ sums it up best. “Being part of Experience Whidbey is valuable because it’s a local promotion group that truly understands the nuances of living and running a business on a small island. Their support helps highlight not only our business but many others, giving visitors a broader sense of what Whidbey has to offer.”

Misfit Island Cider Company—A Perfect Fit for Whidbey

To learn more about Misfit Island Cider Company or any of the other Experience Whidbey partners and supporters, visit ExperienceWhidbey.com.

Each Experience Whidbey partner has a story to tell—how and why the seed was planted that inspired them to create and market their products. One such story of entrepreneurship is Misfit Island Cider Company, where the self-described “misfits” make the cider.

Misfit Island Cider Company is a true micro-cidery, producing in batches of 180 gallons. They make cider in the English style, using primarily English cider yeasts and methods. Owner and head “misfit” CJ Powell said, “I fell in love with cider when I was traveling in London, so my style of cider is a version of those ciders I first enjoyed. I also love experimenting with different yeasts, unique styles, and flavors that maybe no one else is using.” After traveling to England and enjoying dry farm style cider, CJ started making cider in his apartment. Upon returning to the United States, he found that American cider was a sweet style, even though, historically, American cider had been dry due to the lack of refrigeration. CJ set about to produce a dry, English-type cider.

Helping people to understand the complexity of cider has been challenging. Many think of cider as simply sweet, but that’s only one style. It can be dry, funky, fruity, crisp, clean, and much more and, according to CJ, “part of our work is educating customers about the incredible range and complexity the craft can offer while still keeping the experience approachable and fun.”

To learn more about Misfit Island Cider Company or any of the other Experience Whidbey partners and supporters, visit ExperienceWhidbey.com.

“We love co-marketing opportunities that support the makers in our community to be known to locals and visitors,” added Michelle. “The beverage map, website, social media, calendar, and special high-quality marketing opportunities are a gift, and when we can all band together, we are able to make a larger impact. Experience Whidbey supports small businesses and makers collaboratively and offers support and marketing opportunities that are a wonderful gift.”

The original intention of the Experience Whidbey program—to provide a resource for visitors and locals exploring craft beverage destinations on Whidbey Island—more than meets the expectation. As Dave looks ahead to what the future is for Experience Whidbey, he knows that it will be done “in community” with others. So, whatever your craft beverage choice may be, Experience Whidbey has it all mapped out.

To learn more, visit experiencewhidbey.com for information about partners and valuable supporters.