Modern Ancient
Founded in 2018 by distiller Rob Easter, a former bartender and “heirloom grain obsessive” with experience in nearly every step of beverage production from field to bar, Modern Ancient is an independent spirit brand based in California with a focus on distilling heirloom grain—specifically corn—and other rare botanicals.
During the height of the cocktail renaissance in the early 2010s, at a time when the beverage industry seemingly embraced any spirit brand with a large enough marketing budget, Rob pondered a simple question: To what end? As an experienced, high-profile bartender he identified the growing demographic of educated, thoughtful consumers who had questions about what they are consuming, why those products taste the way they do, and how their production impacts the people and places from where they originate. He made a bet that these consumers would catch on to what he calls the “folly of status quo spirits brands,” and anticipated the demand for independently, ethically produced craft spirits.
While influenced by global spirits such as pisco, mezcal, and Japanese whisky, Rob noted that there hadn’t been a “natural spirits” movement in the same way the wine world had experienced, and even craft spirits often utilized the same grain and botanicals as larger commercial brands, along with nearly identical aging regimens. Armed with a DIY work ethic and just the right amount of cynicism directed toward the greater industry, Modern Ancient remains primarily independently funded, operating outside of the commodity economies that drive the industry at large, aiming to craft spirits that broaden the standard profiles of American whiskey.
Arguably the first American distiller to distill many specific varieties of heirloom corn, Modern Ancient set out to prove that these “ancient” grains produce more flavorful spirits than modern grains, which over time, have had their enzymes, proteins, fats, and nutrients stripped in exchange for higher starch content, and consequently higher, faster, easier profit.
As much as Modern Ancient focuses on the distillation of these heirloom grains, the ethos of the brand lies equally in building community with the farmers from whom the grain and other botanicals are sourced and the distilleries with which Rob collaborates to distill his unique spirits. Sourcing predominantly from farms and farmers in Northern California, Arizona, and Oaxaca, Mexico, Rob forges direct relationships to ensure not only the highest quality grains but the highest ethical and environmental standards.
All grains used by Modern Ancient are non-GMO and organically grown, and while not every farm has gone through the rigorous and expensive certification process, each partner farm must adhere to strict standards including zero use of modern pesticides, fungicides, or other chemical sprays, no destructive tilling of land, the use of natural compost and fertilizers in place of industrial solutions, and the prioritization of diversity—which includes not only agricultural diversity but also labor practices.
Modern Ancient spirits are currently distilled in Sonoma, California, using alembic copper stills for whiskey batches, while Good Grain Vodka is column distilled in Modesta; all are produced in collaboration with Rob using the recipes he has developed over the years. An open fermentation of coarsely milled grains using propriety yeast strains typically lasts about one week, and aging occurs almost entirely in barrels previously used to mature other spirits in a conscious effort to eschew the industry reliance on new white oak (a legal requirement for the aging of straight bourbon and rye whiskies), which most distilleries typically use only once. Rob has yet to discard a single used barrel.
The implementation of solera-style batch blending sees new batches blended with about 20% of the last to create evolving expressions of heirloom grains that become more luscious and complex as they integrate year over year. Modern Ancient spirits are lightly filtered using micron filters (never carbon or chill filtered) to retain as much of the spirit’s character as possible.
The name Modern Ancient specifically refers to Rob’s approach of looking to the past to inform the future, rather than embracing the contemporary “solutions” for problems that meet the moment but do little for long-term sustainability. With passion and intentionality imbued in every step, Modern Ancient ensures the past is not lost to industrialization and commodification while offering a refreshing perspective of what American spirits can be.