About Us:

Sub Rosa Spirits is a collaboration between Oregon distiller Mike Sherwood and his partner-in-crime Linda Lausmann who provides culinary inspiration.

Sherwood is an Oregon original - your modern day Renaissance man. He paid his dues as a commercial logger & commercial fisherman; a neighborhood advocate; an energy conservation geek; arts festival coordinator; music promoter; software developer; off-shore sailor, craft beer executive; city planning commissioner;
food & wine writer; cellar rat; winemaker and distiller.

Today Sherwood works in the cellar at the Sineann winery in Newberg, Oregon and runs the Sub Rosa Spirits distillery from his cottage in Dundee, Oregon. Linda Lausmann works at Rex Hill / A to Z Winery as well as cooking up a storm for crush crews during the fall harvest. Together they have created a line of incredibly fresh and vibrant vodka infusions.

Alcohol is in Sherwood's blood it seems, as his family owned a beer and wine distributorship in a small logging town in Southern Oregon.
At a tender age he ascended to the roll of bartender at family parties,
learning to make a mean Manhattan at lightening speed.

Besides helping make wine at the Sineann winery, Mike was recruited to manage Rogue Ale's rum distillery plus design a new distillery / bar/ restaurant. He and distiller Kieran Sienkiewicz put out some award winning white and dark rums as well as concocting a dozen new variants on spiced rum, wasabi vodkas,
a spruce gin, a pastis and other flavor experiments.

Now Mike Sherwood has launched his own brand of distillates starting with two infused vodkas under the Sub Rosa label.

sub-rosa, adjective:
Designed to be secret or confidential; private.

The words 'sub rosa' comes from the Latin, literally "under the rose," from the association of the rose with confidentiality. Use of a rose at secret meetings was a symbol of the sworn confidence of the participants. The ceilings of ancient banquet-rooms were often decorated with roses to remind guests that
what was spoken within - was private.

Anyone who is familiar with secret societies such as the Freemasons, Priory of Scion, Knights Templar will be familiar with the concept of 'sub rosa'. By sampling our elixirs, you become part of the cadre.

sub - rosa at comcast dot net
Sub Rosa - Dundee, Oregon 97115