Cole Danehower, a James Beard Foundation Journalism Award winner, covered the Northwest wine and spirits scene until his death in 2015. Here are Cole’s tasting notes about the new class of regional craft distillers that are honoring gin’s past while pushing the gin genre forward with innovative rifts of classic formations.
OREGON GINS
BEND DISTILLERY Bend, Oregon
Crater Lake Estate Gin / $52 All the ingredients are grown at the distillery— perhaps unique in the world of gin. Hints of sweet herbs with citrus and a broad minty overlay.
Crater Lake Gin / $20 Made from wild-harvested juniper, infused after distillation, this gin offers a greenish yellow tint and forward herbal juniper aromas and flavors.
BULL RUN DISTILLERY Portland, Oregon
Aria Portland Dry Gin / $23 Balanced set of complex botanicals creates a rich and elegant gin with smooth, yet varied flavors ideal for sipping or mixing.
DOGWOOD DISTILLING Forest Grove, Oregon
Union Gin / $23 Small-batch column stills give this London Dry-style gin its smoothness. Spicy and rich, great for cocktails.
HOUSE SPIRITS Portland, Oregon
Aviation Gin / $29 A complex gin with a fresh character that offers spicy top notes overlaying a subtle forest-floorafter- a-rain-shower grounding.
INDIO SPIRITS DISTILLERY Portland, Oregon
Cricket Club Gin / $22 Locally sourced ingredients add to the Portland flair, with tastes of lemongrass, blood orange peel, and—naturally—juniper.
MCMENAMINS Troutdale and Hillsboro, Oregon
Gables Gin / $29 Ever-so-slightly-amber-tinged gin uses juniper, coriander, orris root, and—unusually—Oregon grape root, sage, chocolate mint, rose, and yarrow. Delicious on its own.
Penny’s Gin / $29 Light body and plenty of citrus and floral notes wrapping around the core of juniper. Would make a mighty martini.
NEW DEAL DISTILLERY Portland, Oregon
New Deal Gin No. 1 / $28 Full-bodied, juniper-dominant gin patterned after the genever style. Complex aromas and flavors of juniper, pine, dried herbs and toasted.
New Deal 33 Portland Dry Gin / $24 Distinctive gin has only juniper and a bit of citrus, yet with such simplicity comes a remarkably fresh and nuanced flavor.
New Deal Old Tom Gin / $34 A spicy rendition of this classic style, with notes of vanilla and spruce mixing with juniper and citrus.
OREGON SPIRIT DISTILLERS Bend, Oregon
Merrylegs Genever / $29 Viscous texture and a hearty, malty, almost herbaceous character give this genever force.
RANSOM SPIRITS Sheridan, Oregon
Old Tom Gin / $34 Highly aromatic, spicy, and a soft touch of barely perceived sweetness, this new classic employs juniper, orange peel, lemon peel, coriander seed, cardamom pods, and angelica root.
Ransom Dry Gin / $25 Made in the genever style, this malted barley and rye-based gin uses an infusion of botanicals with an Oregon accent of marionberries and hops.
Smalls Gin / $25 Closer to a modern dry gin, this juniper-forward spirit is made with traditional botanicals supplemented by a touch of Oregon raspberries.
ROGUE Newport and Portland, Oregon
Spruce Gin / $35 Oregon spruce, hand-peeled cucumber, tangerine, ginger, juniper berries and “free range coastal water”. Complex and fresh.
Pink Spruce Gin / $35 Spruce Gin aged in Oregon pinot noir barrels adds gentle vanillin tones and a floral quality. It is different!
WASHINGTON GINS
3 HOWLS DISTILLERY Seattle, Washington
Good Old Fashioned Gin / $24 Juniper is well balanced with a sense of nearly sweet citrus notes.
Navy Strength Gin / $33 Navy Strength indicates higher-alcohol making for a potently potable junipery gin.
BAINBRIDGE ORGANIC DISTILLERS Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Heritage Organic Doug Fir Gin / $39 Rich, lush and full on the palate with well-balanced herbal, citrus, juniper, and pine notes.
CAPTIVE SPIRITS DISTILLING Seattle, Washington
Big Gin / $27 Juniper and pepper notes are bold, both aromatically and on the palate, with a traditional mix of backing botanicals including Tasmanian pepperberry.
Bourbon-Barreled Big Gin / $36 Big Gin matured for six months in once-used bourbon barrels add cinnamon and vanilla to the herbal tones.
DRY FLY DISTILLERY Spokane, Washington
Washington Dry Gin / $35 Floral and spicy, with lavender and apples up front on the nose and tongue, juniper in the background, and a gentle hop-and-malt dance.
HERITAGE DISTILLING Gig Harbor, Washington
Elk Rider Crisp Gin / $29 Traditional juniper-forward flavors include peppercorn and citrus peel in the background. Unusual.
HDC Soft Gin / $19 Made in the genever style, this malted barley and rye-based gin uses an infusion of botanicals with an Oregon accent of marionberries and hops.
OOLA DISTILLERY Seattle, Washington
Oola Gin / $32 Lavender grown in Snohomish is nicely detectable on the tongue, giving this gin a layered and subtle quality.
Waitsburg Barrel Finished Gin / $43 Oola Gin with two to four months in bourbon barrels (American oak) to give it a light honeyed hue and baking spices accent.
PACIFIC DISTILLERY Woodinville, Washington
Voyager Distilled Dry Gin / $24 Fresh and elegant London Dry gin that delivers classic juniper-forward flavors in a clean, crisp, and full-flavored style.
SEATTLE DISTILLING Vashon, Washington
Seattle Gin / $31 An all-Northwest sourced gin with Oregon juniper, Vashon Island lavender, elderberry, and hazelnuts.
SOUND SPIRITS Seattle, Washington
Ebb + Flow Gin / $30 Forward citrusy notes impart a crisp edge to the botanical tastes.
Sound Spirits Old Tom Gin / $34 Lightly bronzed thanks to time in barrel, this Old Tom version offers a supple sense of malt and vanilla, ringed with spice and juniper.
SUN LIQUOR DISTILLING Seattle, Washington
Hedge Trimmer Gin $29 Velvet-textured gin employs double distillation in Scottish copper pot stills and uses sarsaparilla, the rind of Washington-grown watermelons.
Gun Club Gin $31 Birch leaves and organic cranberries are different botanicals. A bold gin that shows its strength in texture, power, and flavor.
