Washington State is known for its rain more than its whiskey. But it does have some local distilleries - Dry Fly in Spokane, Bainbridge Organic Distillers in Bainbridge, and Fremont Mischief Distillery in Seattle. One up-and-coming distillery is Woodenville Whiskey Co. They have had white dog and vodka for awhile, but just last Saturday released their first American whiskey and bourbon. Fans apparently lined up early in the morning to test it out. Mom and I just happened to show up the day after the release, looking around for some local whiskey. Woodenville is in Washington wine country, but those who follow the whiskey scene knew where to come for the amber goods. The cozy tasting room was packed with fans curious to try some of the new whiskey. F.X. McRory's Steak Chop and Oyster House in Seattle has enough whiskey bottles across the bar to require three ladders to reach them, and our bartender, Matt, gamely climbed up and down them seeking the right ones for our tasting: a local, American Whiskey (Bainbridge), a bourbon (Blanton's), and an Irish whiskey (Red Breast). The menu boasts a full page of just bourbon while the sign on the bar boasts, "The World's Largest Bourbon Collection," although Matt said they might be the second largest now if the rumors out of Las Vegas are true. It still takes 8 1/2 hours for two people to take all the bottles off the shelf, dust them, and put them back up. The only whiskies that aren't on the shelf are the most popular, such as Jack Daniels, Bushmills, and Jameson, that would run out too fast to make the trips up the ladder worth it. Other whiskeys can't seem to get off the shelf. One bottle had a type of seal that hasn't been used since the 1980's with a faded $3 price tag on it. I'm visiting my parents for Thanksgiving and found it surprisingly easy to convince them that a side trip to a whiskey bar near the Seahawks stadium was the best way to end a pre-holiday shopping day. My mom doesn't actually drink much whiskey, but she's a good sport and agreed to be my tasting partner anyway. |
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November 2017
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