November Newsletter ~ 11/26/2014 
Borgata Brewery & Distillery
 

 

Nebraska whiskey master paves way  

for Heartland distillers

 

Borgata Brewery & Distillery is a whiskey distillery and brewery with a tasting room/bar right in the heart of Omaha, Nebraska's Old Market. In December, the distillery will celebrate a re-branding with the new name of Brickway

 

After getting his microbiology degree in undergrad, owner Zac Triemert put his education to use working as a quality assurance chemist in Omaha. But after years on this path, he decided to follow career advice from college and use his chem knowledge to do something he was more passionate about. Triemert packed up and moved to Scotland to get his Masters in Brewing and Distilling from Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University.

 

His intention for Borgata, which means family in Italian, is to pass it down to his children. But as most of the business is about distribution, rather than the bar, most of the product goes out the back door into a brick alley -- so the name Brickway will still hold a lot of meaning to the family brand. Read more.

 

 

Small batch distilling booming in Philadelphia

Manatawny Still Works in Pottstown, PA

In just over two years, craft distilling has boomed in the Philadelphia region, helping to restore Pennsylvania to its once-prominent place in the national distilling conversation. Until Prohibition wiped out the state's distilling industry, Pennsylvania housed the country's densest cluster of homespun and commercial whiskey producers, beginning with some of the country's earliest settlers.

 

In 2011, Pennsylvania's government passed reforms that allowed distillers to offer tours, samples and sales on-site. These new laws opened up the craft to would-be distillers who now proudly produce and sell small-batch spirits from Philadelphia. To have a look at the region's distilling pioneers, click here.

 

Rock and Rye returns to the mix

 

Allen Katz, a founder of the New York Distilling Co.

For centuries, the phrase "doctor's orders" has been invoked -- with a rakish grin and a wink -- as a handy excuse for downing spirits. Few liquors have benefited from this dodge more than rock and rye.

 

An unlikely blend of rye whiskey and rock candy syrup, with an array of citrus and other flavors typically thrown in, rock and rye was a barroom staple for much of the latter 19th century, often taken for "what ails you." But it all but vanished after Prohibition, save for a few bottom-shelf brands.

 

This distinctly American liqueur is back, in a small way, with some added cachet. Robert Cooper, the liquor entrepreneur who gave the world the elderflower liqueur St. Germain, released Slow & Low rock and rye in 2012; today it is available nationwide. And New York Distilling Company in Brooklyn recently released its long-in-development Mister Katz's Rock & Rye. 

 

Allen Katz, one of the company's founders, said the product "fits in very neatly into our unwritten philosophy of making spirits that are purposefully different." Read More.

 

 

New Jersey's new Lazy Eye Distillery

 

There's another new craft distillery in South Jersey, this time in Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County, and this one is putting its focus on vodka. Lazy Eye Distillery  is crafting vodka from grapes. And it's also gluten-free and "quite tasty," said owner Carol Kafkalas.

 

A family-owned business, this craft distillery is housed inside a old tavern and restaurant open since the 1930s that had been in pretty bad shape for a while. Both Carol and her husband Nick, latching onto this "one-of-a-kind opportunity that we couldn't pass up," decided to fix it up and convert it into a "quaint distillery," Carol said.

 

The couple had been experimenting with a vodka recipe for a little over a decade, and with their roots in Greece, they wanted a spirit with Mediterranean influences. Read more.

 

 

New York distillery set to launch

 

 

Queensbury's newest distillery got off to a strong start last month -- 170-proof, in fact -- with its first production run.

 

Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, at 133 Clements Road, plans to start welcoming visitors soon, now that large-scale production has begun. The business will update plans for a grand opening on its Facebook page, and a standalone website for the distillery is under development, according to co-owner Dave Bannon.

 

On hand for the inaugural batch from the new still was Ian Smiley, a consultant from Canada. He has been distilling spirits since he was 12, he said, and he holds a minority ownership in distilleries in Dallas, China and in Ontario, Canada.

 

He watched with a careful eye as Bannon, along with Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery co-owners Ken Rohne, Mike Forcier and Tony DeSantis, worked to coax the first spirits from the still, which was made in Germany. Read more.

 

7 healthy reasons to have a drink tonight

You know that knocking back four margaritas at happy hour is bad for your health (right?!), but moderate alcohol intake shouldn't get the same bad rap. In fact, there's a huge amount of data highlighting the positive health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, says Sam Zakhari, Ph.D., former director at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, now the senior Vice President of the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.

 

So what is moderate alcohol intake? It's defined as up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men, according to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines. But let's get one thing straight: This rule refers to one actual drink each day -- not the average of your weekly consumption, says Zakhari. 

 

Translation: You can't abstain all week, then have seven cocktails on Saturday night and call that moderation. Also, one drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor (so you can't fill your wine glass to the brim and call that moderation, either).  Read more.

 

 

Bartisanal Cocktail Kits 

 

 

Bartisanal.com is an online provider of simple craft cocktail kits for use in home entertaining. Co-Founders Walt Easterbrook and John Henry saw the need to demystify and deliver craft to those who crave a great cocktail in their own homes. Each kit includes an artisanal spirit, mixers and garnish, as well as simple recipe cards with a personal note.


 The Holiday 2014 Collection focuses exclusively on New York State spirits and mixers. The kits range from The Empire State Old Fashioned to the Adirondack Bloody Mary. Each kit's ingredients are sourced from local vendors and each kit makes up to 20 cocktails. Prices start at $85 per kit. To learn more and to order, click here.

 


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IN THIS ISSUE:
Borgata Brewery & Distillery
Distilling Boom in Philadelphia
Rock and Rye Returns
Lazy Eye Distillery
Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery
7 Healthy Reasons for a Drink Tonight
Bartisanal Cocktail Kits


Pizza Shot

 

  • 1.5 parts Bakon Vodka
  • 1 part tomato juice
  • 1 part pineapple juice
  • dash of salt & oregano

Serve in a shot glass. No need to chill. Tastes just like a slice of Hawaiian-style pizza!

 

(Source: Black Rock Spirits)

 

Hands-on Whiskey Distilling Workshop


with Jordan Via, Breckenridge Distillery
and Nancy Fraley, Sensory Analysis 

December 7 - 12, 2014 

Gig Harbor, Washington

 

This hands-on class takes place at Heritage Distilling Co. in Gig Harbor, WA, and covers the fundamentals of whiskey distilling. Participants will be able to smell and taste new make spirit as it is being distilled. 

 

Topics include mash preparation, basics of fermentation and wash production, anatomy of a still, mechanics of distillation (stripping and spirit runs), making the cuts, barrel maturation, proofing, and bottling. 

 

Attendees will make new spirit on the six small teaching stills at Heritage Distilling Co. and take home a bottle of new-made whiskey. 

 
For detailed information, including cost and hotel accommodations, click here.

 

Pemberton's new organic single malt whisky 

 

Pemberton Distillery has announced the release of their 2011 Organic Single Malt Whisky, which is crafted from 100% British Columbia barley with a touch of peated malt. The whiskey was pot distilled in August 2011, matured in full-size refill bourbon casks and blended to proof with Coast Mountain water. It's a classic single malt whisky with west coast character. Single cask release; limited bottles are available at their website

 

Twenty Boat Spiced Rum wins awards

 

  

Twenty Boat Spiced Rum from South Hollow Spirits on Cape Cod recently received Double Gold & Best in Show for Flavored Rum at the 2014 New York World Wine and Spirits Competition. For the whole story, go to twentyboat.com.


Black Button releases  Little Barrel Bourbon

 

Black Button Distilling is ready to release their very first bourbon whiskey in Rochester, New York, since

Prohibition! This Black Friday, November 28th at 3pm, the doors will open and the 1400 bottles of bourbon will be available for sale to friends and guests. Don't miss this historic moment in Rochester history!

 

Little Barrel Bourbon is a mix of 4 grains: corn, wheat, rye and malted barley. Aged in 5-gallon barrels for less than a year, this bourbon has a strong corn nose but is smooth in taste and refined with a hint of rye in the background. For more info, visit their website.


KY's Distilled Spirits Best Management Practices
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Members of the Kentucky Distillers Association and others in Kentucky's distilling industry have been meeting periodically for the past few years to share ideas and information at Sustainable Spirits summits. The latest one was held in July at Jim Beam-Clermont. During this meeting, members of the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Compliance Assistance (DCA), presented the final draft of the best management practices document that's been in the works for over a year. Read the article here.


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Apply today, and join more than 200 micro-distilleries who are truly craft, not just crafty

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We're adding fresh updates and industry news regularly to our eNewsletter, as we share what is happening in our ever-growing industry nationwide.

Send your craft distilling news and info on new products -- even your craft spirits recipes -- to our eNewsletter editor Carol Kaufman.

 

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