Amy Bohner
Amy Bohner's story is one of community, persistence, and a determination to prove that world-class whiskey can emerge from one of California's more remote regions. Bohner is a California native born in 1973, who, in 1992 as a 19-year-old, relocated to Humboldt County. She was drawn, as she has described it, to a place "where the forest meets the ocean." There, Bohner attended what is now California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt, where she established the educational foundation that preceded her professional career.
Following university, Bohner spent approximately a decade working in social services. Those years demonstrated a commitment to community service that would also remain a defining characteristic throughout her later business career. During this period she became deeply involved with numerous charitable organizations, eventually volunteering with Humboldt Women for Shelter, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Six Rivers Planned Parenthood, Mountain to Sea Wilderness Camp, and the Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise. Her extensive volunteer record illustrates that public service did not end when she left social work; instead, it simply found a different outlet alongside entrepreneurship.
During those years Amy also met Steve Bohner, who had founded Alchemy Construction in after establishing himself in the construction industry. They married, and in 2004, Amy joined Steve's growing construction company. The business’ later success provided both the financial stability and the practical experience that would eventually allow the couple to pursue a far more ambitious dream: establishing a grain-to-bottle whiskey distillery in Northern California.
That dream formally began in 2010 when Amy and Steve decided to create Alchemy Distillery in Arcata. Rather than purchasing neutral spirits for bottling, as many young distilleries did during the industry's modern revival, they committed themselves from the outset to producing genuine grain-to-bottle spirits. Their objective was not simply to manufacture whiskey, but to build a distillery whose raw materials, equipment, and business relationships reflected the economy of Humboldt County itself. That philosophy would ultimately distinguish Alchemy from many other small American distilleries.
The years that followed were devoted almost entirely to preparation. In 2011 the Bohners traveled to Chicago to receive formal training at Koval Distillery, gaining valuable practical experience before investing in their own production equipment. Throughout 2012 they immersed themselves in research and development, learning every aspect of commercial distillation before committing significant capital. During 2013, they toured numerous Kentucky and Tennessee distilleries, carefully studying both traditional American whiskey production and modern craft operations. One especially significant stop was a private visit to Vendome Copper & Brass Works in Louisville, Kentucky. Amy arranged the tour as a surprise for Steve, and the visit convinced them to abandon their original plan of purchasing a German still in favor of that brand of American-built equipment.
Those planning years also established another defining characteristic of Bohner's philosophy: local sourcing whenever possible. The couple developed relationships with Humboldt County grain growers, ensuring that local agriculture would become an essential part of their whiskey production. Their vision extended beyond simply purchasing grain. They intended to demonstrate that Humboldt County possessed both the agricultural resources and the technical expertise necessary to produce premium whiskey from entirely local ingredients. The name "Alchemy" reflected the transformation of ordinary grain into exceptional spirits, while the Boldt brand honored both Humboldt County and the construction background that had subsidized their distilling ambitions.
Financing a distillery presented another challenge. In March 2014 the Bohners launched a Kickstarter campaign that attracted more than 400 supporters. Rather than directing the proceeds solely toward their own business, they immediately reinvested roughly half of the funds into fifteen independent Humboldt County businesses through locally purchased campaign rewards. The remaining funds helped pay for their still, illustrating both Amy's commitment to community economics and the couple's determination to build a distinctly local enterprise.
Production began in earnest during 2015, when the distillery produced its first clear wheat whiskey. Commercial sales followed in March 2016 with the introduction of Boldt Clear Whiskey. Because properly aged whiskey requires years in the barrel, Bohner developed a broader portfolio in the interim that included other spirits capable of generating revenue while the whiskey matured. This practical business strategy allowed Alchemy to remain financially viable without compromising its long-term whiskey program.
Since those days, whiskey has remained the heart of the enterprise. The distillery's first aged whiskey, a 100 percent locally grown wheat whiskey, debuted in 2018 and sold out in less than two hours. Straight rye whiskey followed later that year, followed by straight triticale whiskey and eventually straight bourbon. One particularly creative project emerged after Amy read about breweries producing beer from surplus bread. Wondering whether a similar approach could work with whiskey, she initiated a collaboration with the well-known local bakery Los Bagels. The resulting whiskey transformed surplus bagels into a distinctive spirit while reducing food waste, demonstrating that innovation could coexist with traditional whiskey production.
Recognition followed steadily. Alchemy Distillery earned Green Business of the Year honors from the Arcata Chamber of Commerce in 2019, while its spirits received awards from organizations including the American Distilling Institute, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Sunset Magazine's International Spirits Competition, and others. Amy herself continues serving on the Humboldt County Farm Bureau board while promoting locally grown grains as an essential component of California whiskey production. Her career demonstrates that successful craft distilling depends not only upon technical ability but also upon sustained relationships with farmers, local businesses, customers, and the broader community.
Working with her husband, Amy Bohner has transformed an established career outside spirits into one of Northern California's most distinctive grain-to-glass whiskey producers. By insisting upon local ingredients, American-made equipment, environmental stewardship, and community partnerships, she helped demonstrate that Humboldt County could support not merely another craft distillery, but a whiskey producer with an unmistakable regional identity rooted in the landscape and agriculture of California's North Coast.
Sources:
Alchemy Distillery official website, alchemydistillery.com
Humboldt Made, "Member Spotlight: Alchemy Distillery”, October 31, 2018, humboldtmade.com
Food For Thought, "Alchemy Distillery, Amy and Steve Bohner”, Jennifer Bell, KHSU, 2016, digitalcommons.humboldt.edu
American Whiskey Magazine, "Los Bagels Whiskey: A Wholesome Tale", October 26, 2021, Andrew Faulkner, americanwhiskeymag.com
LinkedIn, "Amy Bohner”, linkedin.com/in/amycbohner
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
