Drink the Bottles

  The Pacific Northwest is one of the most highly producing agriculture regions in the United States.  The cool evening climate from the Pacific ocean along with the unique multi-layered terroir creates a farmer's dream.  Back in 1934, however, locals noticed that there was an over abundance of pears and apples from the area that were going to waste, and they decided to take matters into their own hands.   Hood River Distillers has been a staple in Oregon for over 90 years, first creating fruit wines and brandies, and eventually branching out into bourbon, whiskey, tequila, gin, vodka and more.  The company distributes across the US and produces nearly 1,000,000 cases annually.  The Forthwest Whisky label currently offers four distinct expressions and three of those are flavored.  The bottle we are tasting today is Forthwest Whisky , an 80 proof blended Canadian whisky. First of all, lets talk about the packaging and specifically the bottle. ...

  Earlier this year, we accidentally stumbled across Johnny Pickles Distillery out of Texas and we were immediately intrigued by what they were doing.  First and foremost, Jeff was a firefighter for over twenty years and when he saw the distillery's home, the decomissioned Austin Street Fire Station, he knew he had to dig further.  If you haven't seen it, go to their website and if you're a 50's-something kid-at-heart, you'd swear you are back on the set of the 1970's TV show Emergency . The second thing that caught our eye was that this small distillery was determined to use local grains in their spirits and we always have mad respect for people who don't overlook the details.  The Texas heat allows for a shorter aging process and delicious results of the uniquely named bottles that Johnny Pickles is bringing to market.  This particular whiskey is made from 100% local corn.  Love it! When the good folks at Johnny Pickles Distillery sent us their Red Stinge...