To me, the word “distilling” conjures images of sweaty men in worn denim overalls laboring over heirloom pot stills in the backwoods of Appalachia.
Though American distilling has deep roots in the South, hundreds of intrepid men and women in the Pacific Northwest have tried their hand at commercial distilling in the few years since legalization. Every year, new distillers spring up while others close their doors.
Despite fierce competition, once a year these intrepid few descend upon Fremont for the Washington Distillers Guild’s annual event, Proof.
I had the pleasure of attending Proof last weekend and was impressed that no matter what type of spirit you prefer, they had it. From whiskey to vodka, rum to absinthe — Washington distillers produce it. Organic pork sliders, cheese and chocolate from local restaurants chased our drams of local spirit. I cannot underscore this enough: If you’re even marginally interested in craft spirits, you need to be at Proof next year.
Here’s a short list of my favorite libations from the night.
Ebb + Flow Gin
Sound Spirits, Seattle
Seattle’s first craft distillery since prohibition, Sound Spirits has been faithful from the beginning to produce small batch spirits from grain. We loved their gin’s well-balanced botanical flavors. If you think you don’t like gin based on experiences with commercial gins, you need to try Ebb + Flow. It has complex flavors while still being fresh and drinkable. The smooth flavors, gently lap against the palate with citrus and evergreen. This gin would bring life to any summer cocktail but is flavorful enough to be enjoyed on the rocks.
Hot Shot Whiskey
Bad Dog Distillery, Arlington
While other cinnamon whiskey producers lace their spirit with chemicals found in anti-freeze, Bad Dog sticks with its traditional roots and makes their flavored whiskey with completely natural ingredients. The lack of propylene glycol may not entice the fraternity bro to pay the extra buck for a natural and handmade product, but the rest of us can rest easy knowing what goes into our spirits. Bad Dog uses their hand-made moonshine, Grandpa’s Likker, and only a handful of ingredients to achieve a truly cinnamon-flavored beverage rather than tasting like artificial cinnamon candy. Drink it straight, on the rocks or mixed in apple cider — this whiskey will not disappoint.
BonFire Toffee Liqueur
ValleyShine Distillery, Mount Vernon
Valley Shine Distillery is a boutique distillery that produces three top-notch spirits accompanied by three equally unique and flavorful liqueurs. Though it’s hard to pick a favorite, Bonfire Toffee Liqueur stole the title as my favorite after tasting it again at Proof. Bonfire has the expected toffee flavor but surprises you with a pleasant smoky characteristic. It’s well-balanced, smooth flavors linger on the palate and end with a gentle warmth. I’ve found that it’s great by itself or on ice cream.
Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka
Bendistillery, Bend, Oregon
This stuff is dangerous. You can easily imagine the taste of this vodka, just reminisce about your morning sweetened iced coffee — it’s really that good. With only a subtle hint of vodka, this would make for the perfect base for a simple coffee cocktail or imbibed on the rocks. The base spirit, Crater Lake Vodka won a gold medal at the World Beverage Competition and received 93 points from the Beverage Tasting Institute.
Doug Brown and Josh Walton run The Local Still, a news and information website focusing on local small-batch distillers. Listen to their podcasts and read reviews at www.thelocalstill.com or find them on Instagram: @the_local_still
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