Our Origin Story

When founders Nancy Loving and David McCallen envisioned Croton Dam Spirits (CDS), they set out to create ‘better for you, better for the planet’ spirits.  The sole reason every spirit in the CDS portfolio is organic is that organic ingredients produce a better-tasting, more flavorful and more aromatic spirit with less hangover effect.

As they were developing the brands, ethos, and culture of what they wanted the company to represent, the founders knew a strong commitment to the environment and sustainability were vital to their success.

Croton Dam Spirits’ DAM Vodka and DAM Dry Gin taste great – and they’re arguably better for the environment, too.

Loving and McCallen have roots in the NYC area.  They’re surrounded by farm-to-table, organic and vegan restaurant options, farmers markets, and a populace that favors a healthy lifestyle.  They knew from the start that they would produce pure organic spirits.

Our Inspiration

The inspiration for CDS was the location – the source of NY’s famously pure, clean water.  The Croton watershed, reservoirs, and surrounding land have remained natural and untouched since the area began supplying water to the city over 180 years ago.

The secret to any great spirit is the quality of the water used in the distilling process.  Although water accounts for most of the liquid in any bottle of spirits – 60% or more - it has long been overlooked by producers who focused instead on filtration techniques or multiple distillation runs. In other words, they were more concerned with what they were taking out of the spirit rather than what they were putting into it.

The purest water is at the heart of our brands.  Water is the basis for all life, and for CDS.

The CDS Team

  • David McCallen has worked in the Wine & Spirits business for 20 years developing successful brands and celebrity-owned products. He has deep DNA in the industry consulting to craft distillers across multiple product categories in US and international markets. He has a proven record of accomplishments in marketing, business development, management, and capital formation in the wine & spirits, technology, and finance industries. 

  • Ralph serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Croton Dam Spirits, bringing over 20 years of experience in financial services to the team. He began his illustrious career at Goldman Sachs, where he honed his skills in financial strategy and analysis before founding Gwynn Oak Capital, a boutique structured finance advisory firm based in New York City. Ralph's extensive background in finance equips him with a unique perspective on capital management and business growth, making him instrumental in guiding Croton Dam Spirits toward sustainable success

  • Andy is an executive with extensive experience combining high-level sales and marketing knowledge with deep operational experience, technical savvy and cross-functional communication abilities. Proven ability to drive sales, attract new clients, manage profit margins, build and manage teams, control costs, and maximize profitability in a competitive and high-profile environment.

The CDS Advisory Board

  • Stephen Koval, Partner, Co-Head, Global Private Equity Practice at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. Mr. Koval has been active in the private equity arena since its inception in the early 80's as a trusted advisor and dealmaker. Notably, his experience involves structuring and negotiating complex business and private equity transactions. He is particularly focused on industries in which he has substantial experience, including retail, consumer goods, luxury brands, health care, industrials, and service entities across the U.S. and the world.

  • Kyran Tompkins is a master distiller in the Hudson Valley. He has created numerous award-winning spirits and has a proven track record of collaborating with new distilleries. Head distiller at Tuthilltown, Hillrock, Current Spirits, and Hudson House. 

  • Louise Newsome was born in Liverpool, England and came to the USA in 1987, first to Los Angeles and then made New York in 1993 her permanent home. Louise has been an entrepreneur most of her professional life with a period where she was the VP of Programming at a national professional women’s networking organization. Louise left that position to focus her efforts on two personal projects; A family distillery in the Hudson Valley producing a unique line of spirits made from locally grown and sourced ingredients and  Trade and Prosper an association supporting artisanal business owners through marketing, events and professional development. Louise served on the board of the New York State Distillers Guild for two terms whose mission is to promote and support New York State distilled products through marketing and legislation. 

  • 30 plus year veteran Wall Street Investment Banker, worked for large investment banks such as Deutsche Bank, Morgan Grenfell, Alliance Capital. Currently, John is working with emerging technologies that disrupt their respective industries. John has a proven track record raising capital and is a well-respected business development expert.