About Us
Anne Arasin is the Owner and Founder of Stern Mama. Her path to starting her own distillery has had many twists and turns. In 2018, she quit her day job as an editor and started backpacking through Central and South America, where she lived for 2 years, supporting herself through freelance editing and teaching positions while volunteering for local companies that piqued her interest.
On an animal rescue farm in Costa Rica, she cared for 12 rescued street dogs, 3 cats, 2 pigs, a goat, and a horse. Later, working as an apprentice at a nanobrewery in Patagonia, she brewed her first batch of beer and learned the value of crafting something with her own two hands. After returning to the States, Anne pursued a formal education in the alcohol industry through programs with the American Brewer’s Guild and the University of Vermont.
Though carrying everything you own from one place to the next is fun for a while, at the end of the day, Anne wants to belong somewhere. Stern Mama is her path to belonging here.
Chris Alborn is the Head Distiller and Operations Manager at Stern Mama. He has worked in the craft beer and spirits industry for 10 years and brings a wealth of knowledge on various systems, from a 15-barrel system during his time as a brewery intern at Hofbrauhaus München in Chicago to a 250-barrel system at Lagunitas, where he worked his way up from Assistant Brewer to Shift Lead Brewer in less than 3 years. He also worked as Head Distiller and Brewer at Seven Stills, where he honed his skills in both brewing and distillation. Most recently, he worked at Ninkasi Brewing, located in Eugene.
Our team is supported by interns Kimchi and Mowgli. What they lack in experience, they make up for in attitude!
Stern Mama commissioned Ellie Reis, a recent graduate of University of Oregon, to develop our brand and artwork for the website, bottle labels, and merchandise, which are inspired by Anne’s travels around the world. Find out more about their creative process here!
