WASHINGTON — Politics and booze have always gone hand in hand. Few people, however, have been able to make successful careers out of both.
Pia Carusone owns and operates Republic Restoratives in D.C.'s Ivy City neighborhood. It's among the few female-owned distilleries in the world.
Carusone is a proud Democrat and political strategist. Her passion for politics fuses directly into the spirits she creates; like 'Rodham Rye' named to honor former First Lady and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"We created Rodham Rye thinking it would be a celebration for the inauguration of our first female president," said Carusone. "We started working on it well before the election. When the election hit we thought, 'uh oh."
Carusone and her team chose to release the spirit anyway to connect with those acting in resistance to the new administration.
'Madam' whiskey came next.
"We thought about that word 'Madam', and we realized when she was elected that single word changed everything," said Carusone. "It breaks glass ceilings. It paves the way for new generations of leaders. It's a celebration of all the work the vice president has done both now and in the future."
WUSA9 first met Carusone during a tour of Republic Restoratives in 2022 following the release of 'Dissent', a gin created to honor former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
"This moment calls for stiff dissent and a stiff drink. For, in the words of RBG: 'The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people,' reads the product description of Republic Restoratives' website.
The 'Madam' whiskey had a moment recently when Vice President Harris was spotted at the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market and was captured on camera admiring a bottle being shown to her.
"It is created to represent the best of America, we think. The folks who are outspoken, disruptive, and truly American in their fight," said Carusone.