The May/June issue of NW Palate Magazine has a feature on The Spirits of the Northwest, including all of the distilleries in the Row. Here’s an excerpt from the article written by By Cole Danehower…
With an emphasis on flavor rather than alcohol, the Pacific Northwest is rapidly becoming a leader in craft-oriented small-batch distilling.
Just as the Northwest pioneered craft brewing in the 1980s, and as our regional wine scene developed during the same period, so today the region is home to a rapidly growing population of indie spirits crafting.
Artisan Northwest distillers are employing locally grown grains, fruits, and herbs in culinary-focused, spirits-based products that are finding favor with craft bartenders, home cocktail creators, restaurant bar programs, and in the kitchens of adventuresome chefs.
Far from being mundane booze, many of these products are expanding the characteristics of traditional spirits, while others are pushing out into entirely new realms of spirits production.
We couldn’t agree more! | Read the full feature here
There’s also a section on the many coffee spirits being produced in the Northwest…
Coffee Gives Booze Extra Buzz
With Stumptown Coffee Roasters making national news and a slew of smaller microroasters keeping locals buzzing, Portland is known for its devotion to artisan coffee. Gaining fame is the city’s cadre of craft distillers, bottling everything from whiskeys and gins to vodkas—and now, coffee liqueurs.
Cross-pollination, as they say, happens, so it’s no surprise that Portland’s drink-meisters were inspired, perhaps one hung-over morning, to blend their booze with coffee beans. If the words “coffee liqueur” conjure that thick, brown, syrupy stuff served with a float of cream, six of Portland’s premier craft distillers have a surprise for you.
