Wednesday, July 1st, 2009
EAT & DRINK
Raise Your Glass
Artisan-distilled spirits demand a spot on your top shelf.
BY BRET STETKA
Consumer demand for high-quality ingredients has spilled over into spirits. Big names like Jim Beam and Buffalo Trace are stepping up their game, offering keenly crafted products with more complex flavors and production. But more intriguing is the rise of smaller distillers who are using local ingredients and innovative approaches to spirit-making. There are now more than 160 craft distilleries in the country tinkering with everything from bourbon to tequila, vodka and gin—and exciting times lie ahead.
“Once all these young brewers figure out you can take wort (the sugary liquid base for making beer) from the beer-brewing process and distill it into whiskey, the renaissance will really take off,” says Bill Owens, founder of the American Distilling Institute.
JB Wagoner’s 100% Blue Agave Spirits
Temecula, Calif.
“Tequila” is a regional designation, so John Wagoner was forced to deem his libation “Blue Agave Spirit.” It’s produced using south-of-the-border methods—giving it the traditional tequila flavor— but the bottle proudly displays a red, white and blue color scheme.
Copper Fox Distillery
Sperryville, Va.
Rather than smoking his barley malt with peat—typical of Scotch—Rick Wasmund opts for locally sourced cherrywood and applewood. He also slips applewood and oak chips in the barrel during aging. Sixteen months later, his Virginia single malt whiskey has a pleasing, lingering smokiness.
Great Lakes Distillery
Milwaukee, Wis.
Since opening in 2004, Wisconsin’s first distillery since prohibition is making a name for the state’s spirits. Its full line-up runs the gamut, including gin, flavored vodka and brandy, but the bestseller is the Rehorst Premium Milwaukee Vodka. It’s mildly sweet, and perfectly clean and smooth with a hint of wheat.
Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey
Denver, Colo.
When volunteer firefighter Jess Graber helped his neighbor, George Stranahan, dowse his barn fire, the two bonded over a mutual love of whiskey and started a distillery. Their world-class whiskey combines the sharp complexity of Scotch with the bright sweetness of bourbon.
