As the sun beat down on Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood last Saturday, nearly 700 people seeking air conditioning and a cold drink found it at PROOF, the Washington Distillers Festival at Fremont Studios.
The event showcased almost 40 distilleries from Oregon and Washington, as well as local restaurants and other vendors. The venue featured a stage, where guest speakers shared their knowledge throughout the afternoon about using spirits and setting up a home bar.
A few of the booths offered tastes of original cocktails, many of which were a collaboration between several different vendors. One of these was the Schilling Cider Company, which teamed up with Fremont Mischief Distillery to craft a tart and refreshing riff on a vodka cranberry featuring Mischief vodka and Schilling’s ginger cider.
The Seattle restaurant Urbane and Copperworks Distilling served a dry, sage-y cocktail using Copperworks’ gin alongside the restaurant’s alder-smoked oyster.
In the far corner of the darkened hall three local vendors — Bluewater Distilling, Anchorhead Coffee and Theo Chocolate — collaborated to craft a raspberry coffee cocktail that pairs with Theo’s raspberry dark chocolate. The drink is made by mixing equal parts Anchorhead cold-brew coffee concentrate and Bluewater’s vodka. Muddle in a handful of fresh raspberries and a dash of simple syrup and strain into a glass for a rich cocktail bursting with complex flavors.
“It’s like mixing sunshine with gold,” said Bluewater owner John Lundin, “and throwing in a rainbow.”
In another unlikely collaboration, Bluebird ice cream and Hardware Distillery joined together to make a boozy root beer float, with Bluebird’s house-made ice cream, root beer and Hardware’s unique “Bee’s Knees,” a distilled honey mead.
All the way from Portland, Oregon, House Spirits showcased its Aviation Gin, an innovation in dry American-style gin, which itself is the product of a collaboration between House Spirits distiller Christian Krogstad and bartender Ryan Magarian.
At another booth, Bradley Feather shared Bradley’s Kina Tonic mixed with club soda and Captive Spirits Big Gin. “Tonic in the old world was more of a medicine,” he explains. The amber, syrupy concoction is pays homage to the original. Bradley’s Tonic and Captive Spirits also have a close working relationship. After Captive Spirits starting aging some of its gin in used bourbon barrels, Feather bought some of those barrels third-hand in which to age his tonic. He hopes he’ll have the first batches of bourbon and gin infused tonic available soon.
Another vital but often overlooked cocktail ingredient, bitters, gets some handcrafted attention at Scrappy’s Bitters, which launched in Seattle in 2008 and can now be found in nine different countries.
“We actually hand zest all our citrus,” owner Miles Thomas says. At the booth he samples out his orange bitters against bitters from another brand that uses dried oranges, so people can compare. Flavors range from lavender to lime, and include aromatic, Orleans, celery and cardamom.
The Seattle SODO district’s Glass Distillery also had a booth at the festival. Glass burst onto the local spirits scene in 2012 with one product, a vodka distilled from Washington-grown wine grapes.
“I like the elegance and the sophistication that comes from grapes,” founder Ian MacNeill said. The grapes give the vodka a sweet, floral flavor and a silky smooth finish. Glass Distillery has since expanded its product line, slightly. Its Gridiron Vodka, a grain and grape blend, can be found at El Gaucho locations in Seattle and during Seahawks and Sounders games at CenturyLink Field.
At PROOF, MacNeill poured samples of his honey vodka and a dry, unsweetened vodka flavored with Kona coffee.
“I want to be known as the best vodka producer in the Northwest,” MacNeill said.
MacNeill is one of many local distillers who exemplifies the values that drive the craft spirits movement in the Pacific Northwest: a dedication to excellence, passion for the product and an enthusiasm for quality, local ingredients.
At its core, PROOF was a celebration of the Pacific Northwest, including the collaboration and creativity that resides in its burgeoning craft spirits culture.
Story - Emily Hamann
Emily Hamann is a freelance writer and reporter from Seattle, Washington. She has been writing for the web and print for three years. When she’s not writing about spirits, she enjoys kicking back with a good gin and tonic. She also likes taking her dog on adventures around the city. Find more from Emily here: @emilychamann
Photography - Ryan Castoldi
I am a freelance photographer living and working in Seattle, WA. I have worked in the industry for over 15 years and have enjoyed every aspect of the process. I love the collaboration with my clients and being able to tell their stories with my images. As a small boutique studio I am able to work closely with you to create unique and compelling images to sell your experience.
I am joined in Seattle by my wife and son (and son to be). When not working I enjoy hopping on a bike or travelling to the eastern side of the state in search of sun and family time; they farm the famous Walla Walla Sweet Onions! It’s also not unheard of to do a little wine tasting when in the area.
I am available to shoot in my Seattle studio near Pikes Market or on location wherever needed. You can reach me via my website: www.ryancastoldi.com
I am joined in Seattle by my wife and son (and son to be). When not working I enjoy hopping on a bike or travelling to the eastern side of the state in search of sun and family time; they farm the famous Walla Walla Sweet Onions! It’s also not unheard of to do a little wine tasting when in the area.
I am available to shoot in my Seattle studio near Pikes Market or on location wherever needed. You can reach me via my website: www.ryancastoldi.com