Category: Distilling & Cocktails

Maine Today has published an article about the Portland Spirits Society.

But with the formation of Portland Spirits Society (and the not-so-tough work of distillery visits and repeated sampling) McCarty aims to turn that ignorance into educated appreciation for herself and any other Portland-area women interested in learning more about their booze.

Judging by the early enthusiasm for Portland Spirits Society, there are a lot of women who are interested.

Women aren’t happy to just drink Stoli any more, she joked. Instead, women are saying, “I’d be interested to know how (liquor) is made and who’s making it,” just like so many locals already do with their food.

Andrew Volk, co-owner of the Hunt and Alpine Club, appeared on WCSH’s show 207 earlier this week along with Jim Britt from Eat Drink Lucky to demonstrate how to make an Old Fashioned and talk about the increasing popularity of whiskey.

Maine Craft Distilling has announced the upcoming launch of two new products:

• Sprigge is a version of Alchemy gin aged in MCD’s whiskey and rum oak barrels. “The combination of used whiskey barrel and Alchemy Gin creates a hearty, full flavored spirit combining hints of juniper with the barrel richness of vanilla.”
• Tashtego is a pot distilled white rum named for a harpooner in the Melville’s Moby Dick.

Both will available for sale starting this Saturday at Maine Craft Distilling’s tasting room on Fox Street and in Freeport.

New England Distilling has produced their first batch of Bourbon. It’s now aging in American white oak barrels and will be on store shelves sometime in early 2016.

Imbibe magazine has featured Hunt + Alpine owner Andrew Volk’s cocktail the Saffron Sour as part of their 25 Days of Holiday Drinks series.

Local bartender, Paul Russell, is heading up an effort to establish a Portland chapter of the United States Bartender’s Guild. Russell and the local planning committee have achieved provisional status for the local chapter and will be holding a bar crawl on December 1st to reach out to and sign-up up local members.

According to the organizations website, the benefits of membership include meetings with fellow local bartenders, discounts on accreditation, networking, access to industry events run by the USBG and assistance signing-up for health insurance. The local chapter plans on running tastings, pop up competitions, educational events and presentations by vendors.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published an article on the Maine craft distilling industry.

Close on the heels of Maine’s micro-brewing boom, and reflecting the interest in all things artisanal, craft distilling is on the rise. Just five years ago, there were three small-batch distilleries in the state; now there are eight, with a ninth under way in a former mill in Biddeford. Including Maine Craft Distilling, five of those now in operation are making whiskey. The others are New England Distilling and In’finiti Fermentation & Distillation in Portland, Sweetgrass Farm Winery and Distillery in Union and Wiggly Bridge Distilling in York Beach.

The Hunt & Alpine Club has been selected by Food & Wine magazine as a contender in their People’s Best New Bars readership poll.

In a city that’s only starting to show off its cocktail chops, PHAC features original craft cocktails such as White Noise, made with Cocchi Americano, elderflower liqueur and grapefruit zest, from bartender Andrew Volk.

Visit the F&W website to cast your vote Hunt & Alpine.

In’finiti has announced they’ll be launching an oat-based whiskey next week.

For those of you keeping track, this will make the 4th craft whiskey from Maine. The other three are:

• Gunpowder Rye from New England Distilling
• Fifty Stone from Maine Craft Distilling
• Baby Bourbon from Wiggly Bridge