Dog & Ram Spirits & More

Last Friday my wife and I decided to try another interesting local spot-Dog & Ram Distillery in Mannington. We Arrived just after they opened and they were still doing some last minute decorating (and dressing up) for their party-going crowd that evening (it was Mischief Night and obviously Halloween the next day). Dog & Ram Spirits is a boutique farm distillery located on 60 beautiful acres, with views of Mannington Meadow and a Delaware River estuary in the distance. The name’s origin lies in the fact that they own two dogs and a flock of sheep (including a few rams).

Brian Marr, MD is the founder of this distillery. He is a full time physician who has put as many hours of his spare time as he could building the space and the products. He and his father built the 2o foot walnut bar. Susan Leandri is another key figure at the distillery. With her background in engineering, she oversaw the construction of the production area and managed many other aspects of the project. Sarah Harmon is their marketing and branding guru. She has a background in photographic communications and medical imaging. The tasting room reflects the good work of all involved. It is large and attractive. Below are a few pictures of mine, which don’t do it justice.

Our Cocktails

They currently offer their two homegrown spirits–Gin and Vodka, as well as a Bourbon that they provide the finishing efforts, including the bottling. This allows them to offer a third spirit in their cocktail menu, as well as bottle purchases. It is their hope to make their own Bourbon a few years down the road.

During our visit we enjoyed cocktails utilizing all three of their spirits:

1. Golden Hour-Gin, fig, local honey, and vanilla. Very unique and very tasty. I would definitely get this one again. (Pictured below on left).
2. Dog & Ram Vodka and Tonic-Traditional, utilizing their vodka. It was very good. Sorry, no photo.
3. Old Fashioned-Bourbon, sugar cube, bitters, cherry, and and citrus. (Pictured below on right). Terrific!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and hope to revisit in the near future. 

My New Jersey Wines of the Week

Auburn Road Vineyard Petit Verdot Volume Two-This is a limited production wine and is only available by the bottle. It is my first and it was highly enjoyable. It is dry and full-bodied, with robust flavors of blackberry and black cherries. Volume Three is reported to be ready soon.

William Heritage 2022 Malbec-Delicious medium plus bodied version with deep ruby color and black cherry flavor. This one gives the Malbecs from the Mendoza Region in Argentina a run for the money! Unfortunately it was in limited production and they are sold out!

Coming Attractions

• Beneduce Vineyards Fall ’26
• Plagido’s Winery Fall ’26
• Laurita Winery Fall ’26
• Hawk Haven Vineyards-November ’26

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