It is true that something is gained by letting this spirit rest in a barrel for several years and extract flavor and dynamics from the wood, but something is also lost in this process.  White Dog has the unadulterated flavor of the grain.  Lost is the grassy texture of corn, the soft sweetness of the wheat and bright menthol character of rye.

At Oregon Spirit Distillers the spirits we like the best are not the finished whiskeys we produce but the White Dog before it goes into the barrel.  This is where the care we put into producing the Oregon Spirit Whiskeys is most evident.  My favorite discussions that Jon and I have at the distillery revolve around the characteristics we have captured in the clear spirit.

So that you, our fans can experience our love of making spirit this month we are releasing three White Dogs as our Distiller’s Choice for summer:  “Woody’s Wheat Un-aged Whiskey”, “Buff’s Corn Whiskey” (also clear and un-aged) and “Rook’s Rye Un-aged Whiskey”.  They will be sold as a set of 3 bottles, each 375ml.

The grain bill for each of these spirits is listed below.  I hope you can make it in on Saturday for the release; I’d love to talk with you more about these wonderful spirits!

Cheers!

Brad

Woody’s Wheat Whiskey

72% Wheat

18% Rye

11% Malted Barley

Buff’s Corn Whiskey

66% Corn

17% Rye

8% Malted Barley

8% Wheat

Rook’s Rye Whiskey

100% Rye

Many wonder where the specific flavors of bourbon come from. The clear spirit that is poured into the barrels contributes to only about half of the flavor.  This spirit, commonly called white dog, carries the flavor of the grain it was mashed from.  When I taste the bourbon white dog, I instantly notice a sweet grassy flavor contributed by the 66% corn in the mash bill.  The middle of the profile tastes smooth with chocolate notes from both the wheat and the malt.  The end has a pleasant, yet robust spice from the 17% rye in the mash bill.

Although I know that this will one day be a fantastic spirit, I have to admit there are some flavors of the initial bourbon white dog that are not all pleasant.  Most noticeable is a tangy flavor from esters that are left over from distillation.  When reflecting on the flavor of the white dog I also notice that the individual flavors are not very synchronized.  Individually they are pleasant but they seem to stumble along, not dancing with one another… yet.

Have no fear, the flavors I am describing as a draw back play an important role in the flavor profile of great whiskey. The roughness from unmarried flavors and the tanginess from esters will become very important as time goes on.  The 53 gallon barrels used at Oregon Spirit are made of American white oak and the insides have been charred.  Charring barrels causes caramelizing of sugars that are present in the cellular structure of the wood to react with the unique chemistry of the alcohol. The result is new flavors that are otherwise impossible to achieve.

Now all we need is time, it passes slowly when waiting for whisky to be ready!  At the one-year mark we find that we have some interesting flavors contributing to the overall spirit.  The bourbon is beginning to be smoother but the individual flavors are still under developed and disjointed.  It takes another 2 years of resting for these flavors to truly balance and become one complete profile.

At Oregon Spirit Distillers we have bourbon, wheat whisky and rye whisky laid up for future release.  Only time will tell when the exact date will be, but I guarantee you it will be worth the wait! Good whiskey takes time; great whisky takes well, more time.

Not only is one of our best products a cordial called Black Mariah, we just released a Raspberry Cordial for this month’s Distillers Choice.  “Wait, one minute!  Why is a whiskey maker (one of the world’s most manly professions) making cordial?  Isn’t a cordial the same thing as a liqueur?”

Cordials and liqueurs are very similar, yet have some slight differences.  A cordial is something that can be consumed straight without mixing due to the lower sugar content.  It is not as sweet and syrupy as a liqueur, which is generally used only for mixing.  Our cordials do make lovely additions to many cocktails as well.

Originally I wanted to make flavored vodka.  I wanted to capture the beautiful and unique to Oregon flavor of the Marionberry.  What a great product idea, right?  In keeping with the Oregon Spirit philosophy I used fresh berries and what I discovered was that there was no way to maintain the natural flavor of the berry over any length of time.  When I would macerate the berry to extract the flavor the harshness of the alcohol would deteriorate the flavor within days leaving behind vodka, not marionberry vodka.  Mainstream flavored vodkas are all flavored using artificial ingredients, which are chemically structured to hold their flavor.

I did not want to use anything artificial in Oregon Spirit products so I consulted with our German friend and distilling expert, Dr. Klaus Haggman.  He suggested that I produce a cordial instead.  What?  Whiskey makers don’t make cordials.  Well, like so many times before, I was wrong.  I started experimenting again with marionberry and by using lower alcohol content I was able to capture the beautiful flavor of the berry in our signature cordial, Black Mariah.

2013 has brought the release of our second cordial, just in time for Valentine’s Day!  This one is Raspberry.  I started with 150 gallons of Raspberry juice.  Fermented it like you would a wine and after 90-days of fermentation the distiller, (that’s me and I usually make whiskey) reserved the best half of the “wine,” and distilled the alcohol from the other half.  Then blended the reserved wine and the distilled spirit together in a blending tank allowing them to marry with one another for 30 days.  After that a bit of sugar is added to tone down the tartness of the berry, but not enough to over power the brightness, allowing the true flavor of the berry to shine through.  This is what makes cordials so lovely.

I still consider myself a whiskey maker.  A whiskey maker with an interest in cordials, on the side.

Cheers!

Everybody knows how important their relationships are with family and friends, and I expect that those reading this blog value those relationships.

One relationship I am really excited to develop this year is that with our local farming community. This year Oregon Spirit is planning to distill enough product that we were able to get several farmers to plant acreage specifically for our whiskey. It may not be a lot of land but it feels fantastic to have a relationship with the agricultural community and contracts with no signatures, only handshakes.

The relationships Oregon Spirit has with its vendors is also very important. Doing business locally strengthens the economy in Central Oregon and that is a win for all of us. Recently I invited the crew from Round Butte Seed – who I purchase grains from – to come in to help me problem solve. I had been struggling with an easier, safer way to get 650 pounds of grain delivered into our mash tun 15 feet up. It took these guys about 10 minutes to come up with a solution to a problem I have been staring at for 6 months. Thank you Mike, Rick and Stoney. In 2013 I will continue to invite my suppliers to participate in my lively hood.

The relationship I have with the spirit community is one I will continue to grow this year. Those people who are participating in the Distiller’s Choice Club make for a really enthusiastic group, and I enjoy spending time with people who share my passion for spirit production and ingredients. I look forward to all of my interactions with them. We also have two workshops coming up in February that give me the opportunity to share my knowledge of distilling and spirits with participants. I hope to see you all there.

My wish for Oregon Spirit Distiller’s for 2013 is the same I wish for you whatever your daily work may be; to grow our relationships, to strengthen the ties that bind us together, to expand our understanding of community and to share our passions with whomever may be interested. Do what you love, with the people who share your passion. Success is sure to follow.

Holidays bring a level of cheer, and well for some a smidge of fear. The entertaining, gifts and visits can culminate into a hurricane of excitement and, well, a likely dose of stress. To make this holiday easier, you will tackle your hard beverages with a newfound light, allowing you to socializing with less care. Behold a few tricks for the holidays.

My goal is to introduce the world of hot hard beverages, so you too can wrangle a delicious cocktail sans stress. All of these cocktails are intended to be ‘serve your self,’ so you can enjoy the party and get back to other parts of being awesome.

First, some simple and standard tricks:

When you are crafting mulled and hot cocktails, you need to consider how long you will be gone during the day and compensate with extra water accordingly. Your perfect finished beverage should be equal parts spirit to water. If you are going to leave the beverage in the Crockpot for 4 hours, add an additional 1 oz water per 10 oz of spirit, and so on (10:1).

For example: If you are making the Hot Holiday for 10, and using 20 oz of Distillers Choice Spiced Rum and you plan to be out ice skating and shopping for 8 hours, add an additional 4 oz of water.

The first two of the following cocktails can mull all day and will build a sensational holiday aroma in your home. I also recommend making the following cocktails in the order they are offered, one day at a time.

Before we get to the good stuff, lets address your most important holiday tool, the Crockpot. This kitchen standby will be getting you through the following three cocktails like a pro. Make sure it is very clean and doesn’t have any residual smells lingering about. No one wants a ‘Favorite Things’ with a little eau de vie of last months beef stew.

Day 1: The Hot Holiday
{For 10 guests, who actually drink}

20 oz Spiced Rum
10 oz Water
6 oz Sugar
½ oz angostura bitters
4 Cinnamon Sticks
12 Orange peels (Peel 2 Oranges in large 3”x1” strips, you should yield 6 per Orange)
4 Anise Stars
4 tsp Cloves
Stir until sugar is dissolved
Let warm and mull on low heat all day.
I find that the ‘Keep Warm’ setting will often do the trick with my Crockpot, after a short go (one hour) on the low temp.

When you return from shopping and ice-skating, taste and adjust the sugar content if needed. You should have a boozy ‘toddy’ style warmer laced with potent winter spices and a strong orange aroma. If the idea of sipping a full 6 oz punch glass full of your Hot Holiday sounds like it will make you hit the floor, add more water, just a smidge at a time, but balance it back to a drinkable rate.

Dealing with the variety of heat given off on different elements makes it a challenge to give a blanket statement of how much water you will need in your Crockpot. Be confident and if your Hot Holiday tastes hot, squared (booze heat and temperature) then cool her booziness down, add hot water slowly till you attain a balanced flavor.

Once your Hot Holiday is ready, place mugs or punch glasses around the Crockpot along with a ladle, and go enjoy yourself. You can welcome your guests with warm welcome stating: “Hot Holiday Toddy’s’ are in the kitchen, please help yourself”. Cheer is spread. Stress reduced.

Day 2: Declaration of Cheer
{Add to the above recipe for 10 guests, who actually drink}

We all know one recipe will not suffice to fill your quiver of tricks, so here are a few more to diversify your hard beverage offerings throughout the coming holiday season.

If you have left over Hot Holiday this recipe is a sure bet for simple. Otherwise, make the Hot Holiday recipe above and add the following:

Build in a Crockpot:
1 cup fresh cranberries
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
3 quarter size slices of fresh ginger
Add the above into a sauté pan on medium-low heat
Stir gently until sugar is completely dissolved
Once sugar is dissolved reduce to low heat stirring occasionally
When cranberries are soft and squishy, 20-30 minutes, remove heat and strain through a fine strainer into a quart jar removing all particulates and fruit.

Add to yesterday’s Hot Holiday and consider the makeover a success.

Remember to always add slowly and taste as you go. It’s easy to keep the remaining cranberry syrup for your young guests to drink with soda water than to destroy your delicious and delicate mulled beverage.

For a Spritzer:
1 oz Cranberry Ginger Syrup
6 oz soda water
Ice
Straw

If your guests from the night before were of the thirsty breed, add more Spiced Rum, Sugar and Water to the Crockpot at 2:1 ratio, retaining your spices in the Crockpot.
Garnish with a few fresh cranberries so they will float around on top.

Day 3: Favorite Things
{For 10 guests, who actually drink}

If you are rolling on day 3 with your lovely guests, you will inevitably need to knock some socks off and cater to the realities of the holiday gluttony.
One of my favorite cocktails come winter season is a classic Tom and Jerry. It’s fattening as all heck and tastes delicious, but it also can be a real pain to make. Here is my extra easy modification, a fantastic variation on the classic that will do the trick.

Build in your Crockpot:
10 oz CW Irwin Bourbon
10 oz Distillers Choice Brandy
1 tsp grated cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp cloves tied off in cheesecloth or a tea strainer
Let warm and come to a low temp
1 pint Heavy Cream, add slowly stirring gently
16 oz Whole Milk, again add slowly

Set your Crockpot on ‘Keep warm’ or ‘Low’ and allow the base to develop for about an hour and then serve.

Bonus: If you want to make your Favorite Things a real show stopper go the extra inch and make this delicious topper, which truth be told is really what makes the drink. When I am home for the holidays, this is what I make.

Use the above base, and get it mulling in the Crockpot well in advance, say 2-3 hours prior to service.

In your ISI Whipped Cream Canister:
2 Whole Eggs
4 oz Whipping Cream
2 oz Dark Brown Sugar
¼ tsp fresh Ground Nutmeg
¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
Close the top
Shake rigorously for 30 seconds, set a timer.
Charge
Shake again, rigorously for another 30 seconds, you should be feeling tired
Discharge a small nip and taste it, it should have a slight yellow flavor and taste amazing

Add a generous amount of this on your cup full of your Favorite Things.

Serving sizes:
When I make cocktails for my friends and family they tend to drink more, maybe I have them trained to expect beverages and they imbibe a little extra. None-the-less here is how I portion appropriately.
Always prepare a minimum of 2 drinks per person, even if Grandma is only going to have one drink, Aunt Candy will likely drink the difference.
Base your recipes on 2 oz per drink per person.
For example:
For 10 guests
4 oz base spirit total per person gives 40 oz
(4*the number of guests)= total amount of base spirit

If you are using 2 base spirits the total base spirit should be the sum of the two base spirits.

During the first 50 years of the production of commercial absinthe it was consumed by the European aristocrats and artists while the commoner continued to consume wine. Many artists in Paris were Absinthe enthusiasts including Oscar Wilde, Vincent Van Gogh, and Ernest Hemmingway. Absinthe was distributed to the French military to prevent malaria during the occupation of North Africa. When the military returned home to France they had acquired a taste for this mysterious elixir.

Years later, once wine production recovered, the industry found it very difficult to capture the customers that it had lost to the “Green Fairy.”

"The Green Muse"

During the late 1800’s the Temperance movement began to gain momentum throughout Europe and the United States. Ironically the wine industry and the Temperance movement shared a common goal. Temperance was calling for the ban of alcohol while the vintners wanted the ban of absinthe. Together they began a campaign to demonize the consumption Absinthe. There was a great deal of art and propaganda that surrounded the “negative” effects of Absinthe. It was claimed that Absinthe would cause hallucinations and could even remove your soul.

With the growing propaganda demonizing absinthe a tragedy doomed absinthe to be banned globally. After drinking only 2 glasses of absinthe Jean Lanfray murdered his pregnant wife and two children. This horrific event was all that the opponents needed to legitimize its demand for prohibition of Absinthe. They launched a full scale campaign to outlaw the spirit and succeeded.

By 1908 the production and sale of Absinthe was banned in the United States and most of Europe. Now a century later under much federal regulation the legal production of Absinthe has resumed.

Mystery still swirls around the consumption of Absinthe and consumers continue to be highly intrigued by the spirit.

As absinthe was becoming more popular, in 1850 a parasite called phylloxera destroyed much of the grape crop that supported the French wine industry.  With wine crops depleted the French commoners turned to consuming absinthe instead.  To meet this new demand many Absinthe distilleries began producing a product that was less expensive and more accessible.  Soon in Paris and all of France, artists and aristocrats, noblemen and commoners were drinking absinthe.

Years later, once wine production recovered, the industry found it very difficult to capture the customers that it had lost to the “Green Fairy.”

During the late 1800’s the Temperance movement began to gain momentum throughout Europe and the United States. Ironically the wine industry and the Temperance movement shared a common goal. Temperance was calling for the ban of alcohol while the vintners wanted the ban of absinthe. Together they began a campaign to demonize the consumption Absinthe. There was a great deal of art and propaganda that surrounded the “negative” effects of Absinthe. It was claimed that Absinthe would cause hallucinations and could even remove your soul.

With the growing propaganda demonizing absinthe a tragedy doomed absinthe to be banned globally. After drinking only 2 glasses of absinthe Jean Lanfray murdered his pregnant wife and two children. This horrific event was all that the opponents needed to legitimize its demand for prohibition of Absinthe. They launched a full scale campaign to outlaw the spirit and succeeded.

By 1908 the production and sale of Absinthe was banned in the United States and most of Europe. Now a century later under much federal regulation the legal production of Absinthe has resumed.

Mystery still swirls around the consumption of Absinthe and consumers continue to be highly intrigued by the spirit.

I love bourbon.  Bourbon is usually made from three to four different grains.  Corn is always present, malted barley and rye are usually involved and some bourbons (including C.W. Irwin) have some wheat as well.  After a couple of years in a barrel these flavors combine into a complex flavor experience.  So what do I like about bourbon?  Complexity.

I love rye whiskey, particularly the un-ashamed rye whiskeys like Sazarac (I know its cheap) and R1.  They have this medicinal, antiseptic flavor that is so proud it seems dare you not to like it.  Although, rye whiskeys don’t tend to be as complex as bourbons they do have something I really like.  Bravado.

There are some great Canadian Whiskeys as well.  Hmmm…  Well like…  If you think of the big brands like Pendelton and Crown Royal what can you say?  They sell really well, they are cheap and one of them comes with its’ own bag.

After looking at the qualities I wanted to represent I came up with bold and complex that people will buy.  Lets put the marketing aside for now and look at the grains we should use to make an Oregon Whiskey.  What is Oregon’s largest grain crop?  Wheat.  What does wheat taste like?  Wheat has some sweetness but lacks the grassy flavor of corn.  Is 100% wheat whiskey good? Yep.  Is it bold?  Yep.  Is it complex? Nope.

So wheat needs some supporting grains if we are going to make an interesting whiskey.  I added a little malted barley and some rye (both grown in Oregon), and came up with a grain bill that makes a wonderful, unique spirit that I am proud of and Oregonians can be proud of as well.

Each year we distill 24 barrels of this wheat whiskey.  We plan to release the first public bottling in August of 2013.  Every once in a while we open a barrel just to make sure everything is going OK, you know, like quality control, it is part of the job after all.  Let me tell you I am not disappointed.  In fact I am thrilled.  I’m sure that you will be too.