Our
Story
From Dirt to Distillery
In 1954, Clayton Alford — a Navy carrier fighter pilot turned cattle rancher — and his wife Evelyn staked their claim north of Pasco, Washington. That same year, their son Bryan was born. Clayton brought with him a fighter pilot’s discipline and a rancher’s grit. With little more than sagebrush, a three-wheel John Deere A, and sheer determination, he broke the land to plant wheat, sugar beets, and potatoes.
Farming in those days was as tough as the dirt itself. The family worked long hours fighting windstorms, pests, and hard seasons, but the harvests proved what grit and sweat could yield. That John Deere tractor still stands on the farm today — a steel reminder that hard work leaves a lasting mark.
Generations of Grit
Bryan grew up feeding cows before school and laboring in the fields through summer heat. When he graduated from Pasco High in the 1970s, he carried forward the family legacy. He expanded acreage, added asparagus, and diversified into new ventures.
Known for his relentless standards, Bryan did what others would outsource: seed cutting, fumigation, planting, storage, hauling. If it had the Alford name on it, it had to be the highest quality — no exceptions. He became one of the first in the Basin to adopt GPS-driven equipment and precision irrigation, pushing both innovation and excellence in every acre.
The Alfords weren’t just farming. They were building something meant to last generations.
A New Generation
By the early 2000s, Alford Farms had grown to 2,500 acres of potatoes, sweet corn, and asparagus. In 2005, James Alford joined the farm while still in high school, training to lead. Two years later, at just 18, he took the reins.
James brought with him the same grit, but with a sharper eye toward innovation. He introduced specialty seed crops, founded JCAg in 2007, and launched Premier Seed LLC with Bryan in 2010, building one of the region’s largest custom potato seed operations. New facilities, expanded acreage, and state-of-the-art storages followed. The acquisition of 3 Rivers Potato cemented the Alfords as leaders in potato services.
Through it all, one truth never changed: the dirt, the sweat, and the relentless pursuit of quality defined who they were.
From Field to Bottle
The idea for a distillery grew naturally out of the soil. The Alfords wanted more ways to honor the crop they knew best — potatoes — while sharing their passion for spirits. Unlike most distilleries, Block One controls every step: from seed piece to field, from harvest to bottle.
The result is Block One Potato Vodka — a spirit born of dirt and determination, refined with craftsmanship and care. After years of trial, error, and partnership with master distillers, the Alfords created a vodka that’s smooth, balanced, and nearly flawless in finish. It’s everything a potato vodka should be: honest, pure, and rooted in the land.
Our Legacy
For over 70 years in the Blocks, the Alford name has stood for hard work, high quality, family, faith, and grit. Block One is the next chapter — not a brand built for a moment, but a foundation built for generations.
We don’t half-ass. We don’t cut corners. From the first tractor in the sagebrush to the vodka in your glass, our story has always been about turning hard work into something lasting.
This is more than a distillery. It’s a farm’s spirit in a bottle.