Photo by Marco Calderon
Left to right: Patty Butters, Carly Butters Snyder, Willa Snyder (child), Jodi Butters, Chad Butters
It was a cancer diagnosis that gave birth to the craft distilling business that is Eight Oaks Farm Distillery. In 2012, founder and CEO Chad Butters and wife Jodi learned she had cancer. As she recovered, a deep discussion revealed what was most important to them going forward: more time with family and each other, becoming entrepreneurs, doing something related to agriculture and having fun. They researched opportunities for months before discovering the field of craft distilling—it checked all the boxes.
Eight Oaks is the platform from which the Butters family lives their purpose. Known for their Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey and Applejack, the farm in New Tripoli uses regenerative agricultural practices to grow their own barley. Local partners supply corn, rye and apples. Their award-winning spirits are just a part of Eight Oaks’ larger plan—to build a better community. “That community begins with healthy soil, which nurtures the farm, inspires our spirits and gathers the community,” says Chad. “In turn, the community supports our ability to do just that.”
Published as part of Faces of the Valley in the May 2024 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
