Lisa began her alcohol beverage industry career in the Napa Valley at Robert Mondavi in 2002 working in hospitality.  Two years later moving to Beringer in Operations focused on packaging and production. 

In 2009 Lisa worked for Diageo on the spirits production side of the business and then back to wine for Diageo Chateau & Estates. She relocated to Oregon in 2013 to sell packaging for wine, beer and spirits in the Pacific Northwest. Lisa and her husband John moved to the family property in Friend, into the house John and his father built. Wheat was farmed on the property for decades until the 1980’s. 

One day talking with a colleague about why a particular vodka was so popular her friend said it was because of the water.  Lisa said “I have pristine water” and her friend said “You should make vodka!”  And so the idea for Friend Spirits began to take shape. 

A wheat vodka was the obvious choice as the closest most locally farmed grain. There’s a grain silo every few miles between Friend and The Dalles. This is wheat country!