Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Axster & Wendelin Von Schroder.
Hi Anna and Wendelin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As cousins, friends, and colleagues, we spent over a decade working together in music and film. Having acquired a taste for whiskey backstage and in countless venues, bars, and restaurants across the country, we started really understanding what flavor notes we liked. We also noticed that we, as female millennial consumers, did not feel very represented in what was out there. We had long wanted to create a whiskey that wholly represented us, and when the pandemic hit, and everything in entertainment came to a screeching halt, we realized there was no better time.
What we loved most about our work in entertainment was bringing people together to connect over shared experiences. We developed a flavor profile we loved and we feel is approachable, put it in a bottle, and set out to create a brand that invites everyone to the party.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It seems like no road worth taking is ever that smooth. With the pandemic, the unexpected change and uncertainty that followed, both in our professional and in our personal lives were challenging, it also allowed for us to really focus on what we wanted to do and what we wanted to put out in the world. That’s how Lodestar was born. Since then, it’s been fairly smooth, with some bumps and delays along the road, but nothing major. We could not be more excited to finally be able to share Lodestar Whiskey.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Lodestar Whiskey?
With Lodestar Whiskey we crafted a blend of Straight High Rye Bourbon and American Single Malt Whiskey. As women in a male-dominated industry, we wanted to create a spirit that is high-quality, delectable, and appeals to people from all genders.
Versatility and approachability were important to us when we created the flavor profile and Lodestar can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, and it’s also delicious in a cocktail. We created a spirit that can satisfy the palates of many – both seasoned whiskey drinkers who love a good bourbon, as well as consumers who are new to whiskey.
We believe that the smooth, approachable flavor of Lodestar combined with the inclusivity of our brand brings something that sets us apart from many other great products out there. We hope to build a community around the joy of coming together and sharing in a delicious drink, be it around a dinner table, in your local bar or restaurant, or on a weekend away with best friends. We want to bring people together in an inclusive and joyful way and we believe Lodestar can be enjoyed by everyone and embodies the laid-back lifestyle of our LA base and the universal truth that life’s special moments are always better when shared.
We are proud of the high-quality spirit we created through much attention to detail and we are also proud of the packaging we created with our amazing collaborator, LA-based designer Sheila Buchanan. It has been really fun and exciting to see the positive response to Lodestar as we are launching in the LA and Southern CA markets.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Bringing people together and creating a sense of community and being a part of local communities here in LA brings us the most joy. Especially after the world went through the experience of not being able to gather and share in community during the pandemic, we feel there is an increased need for people to connect, and we love being a part of that.
Pricing:
- $43
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lodestarwhiskey.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lodestarwhiskey
Image Credits
Sally Peterson
