It’s that time of the year to re-cap the best of 2011.

What’s hot?  What’s not?  I honestly don’t have a clue, but here’s what I do know about what happened this year.

The craft spirit industry is on fire with over 200 small distilleries producing vodka, gin, whiskey, and liqueurs all over the country. (I have yet to hear of one making American tequila – if there can even be such a thing???). Here in Oregon, Portland alone has thirteen distilleries and then there are other small batch distilleries sprinkled throughout the state such as Superfly, Oregon Spirit Distilleries, and Stein Distillery. The practice of opening a distillery has become so commonplace that there is now a website ran by the state of Oregon giving you a step-by-step guide as to how to do it! link here

What are people around the country excited about this year in the craft market – surprisingly a lot of people are talking about whiskey! I have felt that all of the new whiskeys I’ve tried need five or six more years in the barrel – but word on the street is that some of these distilleries are turning out a respectable product.

 Northwest

In the Northwest people are excited about

Black Mariah Marionberry Liqueur :::::

Sweet and thick, made with locally harvested marionberries, local botanicals, and hazelnuts this will make you laugh in Chambord’s face when it comes to making a jaw-dropping kir royal this New Year’s eve.

 The West

In the West, people are raving about

Dancing Pines Chai Liqueur which won double gold medal winner from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition this year. The liqueur is distilled in a hand-crafted copper pot still with their own blend of chai tea made from whole leaf black tea and five secret spices. Jacob T. who told me about this delicious sounding liqueur said, “I’ve never really tasted anything like it before: balanced, complex bouquet, sweet ….but not too sweet, perfect in a hot drink or over ice cream! They really did a nice job!”

Roundhouse Imperial Barrelhouse Gin  :::::

My favorite new spirit I tried this year was Roundhouse’s new barrel-aged gin. They took their award-winning gin and decided to barrel age it for six months and it is delicious. It tastes like a fragrant well-balanced gin met a honey=kissed bourbon and fell in love so you could fall in love with it.

The Midwest

In the Midwest, there’s hype about Templeton Rye.

Jeff H. who told me off this whiskey said, “It’s out of Iowa and they allegedly were one of Capone’s major producers during prohibition. It’s delicious!” Templeton claims that they have been producing whiskey for eighty-five years. Their claim to fame is that during prohibition they secretly produced in very small quantities for a few select customers.

The Northeast

In the Northeast people are pysched about what Tuthillton Distillery is creating out of New York and about a very small distillery called Ryan & Wood which is in the small town of Gloucester, Massachusetts right on the Atlantic Coast.

Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey is crafted from New-York grown corn and aged in small American Oak barrels. As for their rye, Hudson was the first distillery to make rye whiskey in the state of New York in 80 years. It is crafted one small batch at a time.

Sarah S. who told me about this spirit said, “Baby Bourbon or Manhattan Rye … oh So freaking amazing! why? because when I sip on them, the subtle flavors pop in just the right way…I’m not a whiskey drinker either…”

Ryan & Wood Rye :::::

Frederic Y. told me about Ryan & Wood Rye, “Tastes like a fuller flavored Sazerac 6. And unlike many small distilleries’ whiskeys, it was well worth the price.”

Ryan & Wood might have one of the most beautiful stills I have ever seen – it looks like a musical instrument.  It is 600 liter alembic copper pot still which was crafted in Germany.  See a photo of it here.

The South

What’s hot in The South? (Well more than the weather.)

Southern Corn Whiskey :::::

Clare H. told me about this Southern Belle, “I love it with just a cube or two of ice to allow a sweet spicy flavor with just a little bit of heat.”  Getting your hand on a bottle might be a problem as the distiller Thirteenth Colony Distillers  did a tiny run of only 400 bottles last year.

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As for the the cocktail world, I was able to ask Alan Dietrich, national sales manager for Crater Lake Vodka, a bit about trends he’s seen this year.

What spirit surprised you?

::::: There has been a huge jump in interest in gin this year. It’s really noticeable in the number of inquiries we have received to create private label gins.

What trends have you seen in the bar scene?

::::: I have noticed an increase in the number of bartenders trying to create new drinks. The mixology trend appears to be growing.

What trends did you notice in mixology?

::::: I have also noticed that the established mixologists are tending toward simpler concoctions. They seem to be acknowledging that the average drinker is not very sophisticated yet. It might just be the holidays but I have seen a number of new champagne drinks showing up on menus and in the trade press. I have also seen a growing interest in Prohibition era cocktails – maybe due to the Ken Burns series?

What will 2012 hold? Keep me posted.

thank you Public Domain for the 2011 photo

I had the treat of going to Portland this week and making the Hood River Distilleries fall and winter portfolio of cocktails for all of their regional sales reps. (The recipes follow.) I was also able to meet Ken Wyatt, who is one of the owners of 44 North Vodka – made right next-door in Idaho.

What was really embarrassing after spending the entire evening with everyone (and let’s just say these guys don’t go to bed until there is really no other option) is how little I knew about the Pacific Northwest’s oldest distillery, Hood River Distilleries. Hood River Distilleries opened in the small town of Hood River, which sits at the base of Mount Hood on the Columbia River. If you have never been to Hood River, Oregon – you are missing out on one of the most enchanting locales in the entire nation. It has a charming downtown, rich in Victorian buildings and cute urban shops that house boutique bakeries and outdoor stores. The Columbia River is visible from many places in town and on a warm and windy day you can see kite boarders’ pink, green, and yellow sails glide by on a river so big it has white caps and small waves breaking.

Hood River Distilleries began in 1934. (To give you an idea of what was happening during this time – The U.S. was in the midst of The Great Depression with unemployment at 22% – it’s currently around 9%. Adolf Hitler declared himself the fuehrer of Germany – now google and facebook just knows everything you do and when you do it. And, the U.S. Midwest was experiencing the dustbowls, where 35 million acres of farmland were destroyed – now half of the nation doesn’t even eat food grown in fields, so this might matter less to us today.)

Hood River Distilleries began as a way to use the fruit waste that was being disposed of in the river, as the valleys around Hood River are quilted in apple and pear orchards. In 1968, Hood River Distilleries moved to its current location (you can actually see it as you breeze by on the interstate). They no longer distill old fruit waste, but rather bottle Pendleton Canadian Whisky, Yazi Ginger Vodka, Knickers Irish Cream, Broker’s London Dry Gin, and ULLR (which is a cinnamon peppermint schnapps). I also learned how much Pendleton they sell compared to anything else and how popular Pendleton is on the rodeo circuit – which was fascinating. Pendleton is the official spirit of ProRodeo and does all the big cash prizes for bareback buck riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding. Hood River Distilleries has also invested a lot of money to keep the facilities for the Pendleton Round-up in prime condition. If you are like myself and don’t travel much in the rodeo circuit, The Pendleton Round-up is Oregon’s biggest rodeo which started in 1910 and every September attracts the world’s greatest cowboys to ride on the world’s meanest bulls.

Pendleton is an aged and blended Canadian whisky that took many years of trial and error to create what many believe is the best Canadian whisky in the world. (I am not a Canadian whisky fan, but the Pendleton has a rich vanilla undertone that differentiates it from most of the swag available at the same price point.) They don’t do the blending on premise, but rather it is blended in Canada to their specifications and then brought to proof with Mt. Hood glacial water. Before Hood River Distilleries bottles Pendleton Whisky (which is about every six weeks) a sample is sent and a panel of tasters including the owner of the company, Ronald Dodge, and the vice president, Lynda Webber, taste it to ensure that it tastes like every ounce of Pendleton that’s ever been sold. The spirit is shipped by train across the country – which can take many weeks and can affect the product if the train car gets too hot or too cold – which means that the whisky will have to re-blended. So it’s a delicate process, but it ensures quality and consistency.

I also got to meet the original Pendleton Posse Member Mindy Davis, who is absolutely gorgeous, ridiculously charming, and a sicklingly good dancer. I you are not familiar with the Pendleton Posse, it is a group of talented young women who grew up in the rodeo community and travel to help promote Pendleton Whisky and the spirit of the American West. Seems like a pretty good gig, made me wish that I knew how to actually ride a horse and I owned some bigger belt buckles.

Hood River Distilleries also just picked up 44 North Vodka, which is made in Rigby Idaho. They have two types – their flavored vodkas (huckleberry and rainier cherry) that are distilled from potatoes, in honor of Idaho being the home of famous potatoes and a winter wheat vodka (the winter wheat is also grown in Idaho but without the hoopla). I’ve had the huckleberry vodka numerous times over the years and I’ve always loved the flavor – plus too, there just are no other huckleberry vodkas. Unfortunately, I believe that cough syrup has destroyed the cherry flavor for me as cherry lollipops, cherry Popsicles, and cherry vodka tend to remind me of sick days as a child. Not to say that’s not to say there isn’t a positive, as my many of my favorite memories from childhood are sucking on Luden’s cherry cough drops while watching Wheel of Fortune and enjoying the luxury of sleeping on the couch – it’s just not necessarily the feeling I want while I’m in the bar. Nonetheless, I hate to say it but it makes a damn good cherry coke. The winter wheat drinks sweet as most winter wheat vodkas do.

Anyhow, it is always fun to learn something new – especially about a brand that I see all the time.

As for Hood River Distilleries Fall and Winter Cocktails, please help yourself.

The drinks are tiered as the first drink of each group is the easiest to make.

The second drink might have harder ingredients to find, but you should be able to get everything you need at a regular grocery and liquor store.

The third drink might involve a special grocery or a nicer liquor store.

Cheers!

Brokers Gin Cocktails

Gin and Juice
2 oz Broker’s Gin
3 oz Juice Love

Mix in glass, add ice, and stir.

Juice Love Recipe

Juice Love (this is built to 28 ounces – the size of a storm pourer or a recycled/re-used liquor or wine bottle) I recommend that if being used at a commercial level that the bar premix the juice, as they will find it will add to speed and efficiency.

7 ounces pineapple juice
7 ounces cranberry juice
6 ounces oj
2 ounces grapefruit juice
3 ounces lime juice
3 ounces simple syrup

Gin Gin
2 oz Broker’s Gin
1.5 oz mint syrup
1.5 oz lime juice

Mix in glass, add ice, and stir.

Mint Syrup
4 cups mint (you can use the entire sprig, no need to tear the leaves off)
6 cups water
6 cups sugar
Bring to a boil, take off the heat and let sit overnight. Strain and serve.

Postmodern Pimms Cup
1 oz Broker’s Gin
.5 oz St. Germain
.5 oz Pimms
1/2 oz cucumber puree or 4 slices of muddles cucumber
2 oz of lime sour
.5 oz of soda
2 shakes of Angostura bitters

Mix in glass, stir or shake, add ice, and serve.

Lime Sour
2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
14 ounces fresh-squeezed lime
2 ounces of oj

Cucumber purée is simply cucumbers that have been ran through a blender

Yazi Cocktails

Hard Bitters and Soda
2 oz Yazi
3 oz of soda
3 shakes of Angostura Bitters (or any flavor bitters you have)

Mix in glass, add ice, and stir.

Yazi Toddy
1.5 oz Yazi
.5 oz brandy
1.5 oz honey syrup
1 squeeze of half of a lemon
splash oj
2 oz hot water

Build this drink in a coffee cup stirring until all the ingredients are mixed.  You most likely will need to steam or microwave this drink to warm it up before serving.

Honey syrup is just 2 parts honey to 1 part warm water – it makes the honey much easier to use for cocktails. I would recommend making a squeezie bottle of honey syrup for speed’s sake.

Ninja Ginja
2 oz Yazi
1 oz Monarch triple sec
1 oz Gimple
1 oz lemon juice

Gimple (Ginger Syrup)
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
Your choice of 2 cups peeled and cut ginger or 8 bags of ginger lemon tea

Bring to a boil and take off the heat. Strain the ginger or tea bags out and let cool. (DO NOT allow the ginger to sit overnight – the syrup will take on a lot of spiciness)

Pendleton Cocktails

Pendleton Smash
(this is a very old pre-prohibition cocktail made with Pendleton)

2 oz Pendleton (that’s been steeped in mint)
2.5 oz water
teaspoon of fine white sugar (Baker’s sugar)

The easiest way to steep the Pendleton with mint is to add two mint teabags to a bottle of Pendleton (especially if this drink is on the cocktail list and you are pouring through a lot of Pendleton). Otherwise, allow 2 oz of Pendleton to steep with fresh mint sprigs for 10 minutes up to overnight (but don’t leave it any longer or it will turn a nasty color).

Pendleton Sidecar
2 oz Pendleton
1 oz Monarch Triple
2 oz Lime Sour

Build drink in a shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Lime Sour
2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
14 ounces fresh-squeezed lime
2 ounces of oj

Tim Buck 2 (Let’er Buck)
2 oz Pendleton
1 oz Vanilla Syrup
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Soda

Vanilla Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/8 cup vanilla extract

Bring the sugar and water to a boil, take off the heat. Let cool and add the vanilla extract (if you add the extract when it’s hot the vanilla extract will evaporate)

Knickers Cocktails

The Wired
1.5 oz Knickers
.5 oz Coffee Liqueur
2 oz Espresso
.5 oz Chambord
.5 oz half and half or heavy whipping cream

Build drink in a shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Coco Fizz
1.5 oz Knickers
1 oz Amaretto
1 oz coconut cream or coconut milk
2 oz cola

Build drink in a collins glass adding all ingredients except for the cola.  Stir, add ice, and top with cola.

The Ultimate Chocolate Martini
1 oz Knickers
.5 oz vanilla vodka
1 oz creme de cocoa
1.5 oz Ghirardelli Chocolate Syrup
1 oz half and half or heavy whipping cream

Chocolate Martinis are a great place to play around with some fun rimmers – go down the candy aisle and blend up M&M’s, Heath Bar, or Butterfinger. Use chocolate syrup to make the rim sticky and dip it in your crumbled candy choice.

ULLR Cocktails

Viking Bomb
2 oz of ULLR dropped in a pint glass filled with half Red Bull (or another energy drink) and half lemonade

Caribbean Bulldog
1 oz ULLR
1 oz coconut milk or coconut cream
1 oz vanilla vodka
2 oz soda
grate a bit of fresh nutmeg on top (if you have some lying around)

Mix in glass, add ice, and stir. (Some people are not so keen on the soda in this drink, so if that is you – please enjoy soda free.)

Silky Sin
1 oz ULLR
1 oz Yazi
1 oz half and half or heavy whipping cream
1 oz simple syrup
2 shakes Angostura Bitters
1 squeeze of lemon

Build drink in a shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass.