David Woods
David “Dave” Woods, Sr., is the 69-year-old co‑founder and lead distiller of Wiggly Bridge Distillery in York Beach, Maine. Dave is best described as a quintessential entrepreneur, curious, determined, and endlessly inventive. He grew up in York Beach and graduated from York High School before briefly attending the University of New Hampshire. Now, he balances a bustling professional life with a close-knit family.
From a young age, Woods was immersed in small family businesses. The Woods have owned ventures ranging from carwashes and salons to oil, propane, and campgrounds. Over the years, Dave built a well-earned reputation as a self-starter who wasn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and learn new skills. Belying his easygoing nature, he also has a restless mind: “When I hear that, it provides me with the incentive to go in the other direction and do it,” he later recalled about his hands‑on approach.
The spark for a family distillery was ignited in 2010 at a casual family dinner, when his son, David Jr., then 23, half-joked, “Let’s make our own whiskey!” That offhand remark stuck with the elder Woods, igniting a fascination with distilling that became an obsession. Father and son began researching copper still construction and distillation techniques. The pair even traveled to Montserrat in the Caribbean, where they practice-built a small copper pot still and learned the practicalities of taking spirits from mash to bottle. Back at home, the duo was surprised to learn that at that time, there were only 3 distilleries in the entire state of Maine.
By 2013, following two years of navigating federal and state licensing, Wiggly Bridge Distillery, which was named after America’s smallest suspension bridge, officially opened in an old barn on Route 1 in York Beach. There, the Woods duo crafted small-batch spirits, starting with bourbon and expanding into gin, rum, agave spirits, vodka, and single malt. Wiggly Bridge’s bourbon, notable for its unusually high rye content of 37%, has the reputation of a bold, spicy profile, just as its creators intended
“The Wiggly Bridge”
America’s smallest suspension bridge
at only 75 feet long—
York, Maine
Just like his father, the younger Woods’ approach also wasn’t rooted in formal distillation training, but was born of experimentation and hands-on craftsmanship. Dave Jr. taught himself to weld through YouTube tutorials, hand-building his copper stills onsight and saving thousands of dollars in the process. While the Woods try to do what they can to be good stewards of their resources, the consumables that they utilize are top-tier: the corn is a locally grown premium hybrid of Bloody Butcher, Ohio Blue Clarage, and #2 Yellow Dent. The barley is grown and malted locally by Lewiston-based Blue Ox Malthouse. It is also worth noting that Woods has turned down several acquisition offers, motivated by a strong conviction to keep the distillery family-run.
At home, kinsmen are what continually ground the Woods family. Dave regularly credits his children, their spouses, and his grandchildren with helping run operations. Six grandchildren, whose laughter fills the home, now span the family roster. Dave sees the distillery as a legacy project, his "retirement gig,” which he hopes will sustain many future generations of Woods Down Easters.
Unfortunately, Dave’s journey hasn’t been without controversy. For years, Wiggly Bridge had peacefully coexisted with its supportive neighbors. But then in 2022, local debate erupted over “whiskey fungus,” the black mold caused by extremely high concentrations of ethanol vapor. Neighbors feared that Wiggly Bridge’s proposed enlargement would result in the staining of nearby picturesque homes in a vacation town financially dependent on unsullied New England cottages and pristine beaches. The dispute led to town ordinances limiting future distillery expansions.
Subsequent inspections by air quality officials found that Wiggly Bridge’s rick houses contained less than one-fourth the number of barrels that would be required to raise air pollution concerns. Even so, the family is distraught that some of its neighbors are unhappy. “For a time, I felt terrible going into the local grocery store, because I was afraid people hated us,” said David Jr.’s wife, Amanda. She points out that the small amount of whiskey that Wiggly Bridge ages is being unfairly compared to enormous distilleries that are frequently in the news for their controversial handling of the issue. Nevertheless, distiller’s whiskey fungus remains an issue that is not likely to go away soon, whether in Bardstown, Lynchburg, or tiny York Beach, Maine.
Though Dave is active in other ventures from carwashes to campgrounds, Wiggly Bridge is his heart’s work. He built the business from scratch, from the first still to the last label on the bottle. His openness to innovation, whether it is a bourbon-aged coffee bean or the aging of craft rum in former wine barrels, reflects his entrepreneurial improvisation. In the end, his story is one of curiosity and craftsmanship, pioneered through a simple question: “Can we make our own whiskey?” That question led to the creation of a thriving, family-run distillery known for its bold flavors, handmade copper stills, and award‑winning small batches. Balancing innovation and tradition, Wiggly Bridge Distillery has become a local institution in York Beach—and a source of pride for the Woods family. Maine now has its own Distiller’s Guild and has 12 members mapped out on their website—and the Woods of Wiggly Bridge strive every day to make sure it stays that way.
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
Sources
Wiggly Bridge Distillery homepage; wigglybridgedistillery.com
The Glencairn Glass, Wiggly Bridge with Dave Woods, whiskyglass.com
Spotlight on Business magazine, John Allaire, February 2016
Maine Food and Beverage, Maine Tasting Center, mainetastingcenter.com
The Wall Street Journal,“Whiskey Fungus…”, Saabira Chaudhuri, November 2024
