Here in the fertile Lehigh Valley, we grow our own grains and source other ingredients from the farms of our friends and neighbors to give you a true seed to glass experience. Our name also has some roots to it. Let's start with "Oaks." The oak tree gives us the barrels that people have been using for centuries to age their spirits. Of course, the oak is also a symbol of strength, nature, and longevity.

Now the number 8 has always been significant in my family. My grandfather lived in a time when people wrote letters. He often worked away from home, and my dad told me the story of when his father wrote these letters, he would sign off with a number 8. He told him that the 8 was representative of the 8 letters in I Love You. When my dad wrote me letters as a kid, he continued the tradition, and I have carried that tradition on with my family. Now it’s not so much in letters as it is in the form of texts and emails, and yes, even Facebook posts and tweets. It has come to mean more than just I love you. It means I’m proud of you, I’m thinking about you and just generally a symbol of love and support. But more importantly, it is a direct tie back to my grandfather and my father, who have both since passed on but are always with us in spirit.