Ohio distilleries offer plenty to keep you in good spirits
It’s eight days before Christmas and all through the house everything is stirring, including your spouse.
There are parties to head to and presents to buy, and time is of the essence as Christmas draws nigh.
The timing is tight as the holiday draws to a close, whatever you do, find something quick to wrap up in bows.
The easier the find the less daunting the task; we suggest a trip to the liquor store to finish lastminute shopping fast.
Here are five Ohio distilleries with bottles that can help with the cause, so jump in the car and give full credit to that rosycheeked lush Santa Claus.
All kidding aside, your dining plans from now until the end of the year are likely on lock down, so here are five Ohio dis
tilleries that sell product in your friendly neighborhood liquor store—all worth checking out. Several local restaurants like Lily’s, Corner Kitchen, Wheat Penny, Mudlick Taphouse, Fifth Street Brewpub and Meadowlark feature these bottles in cocktails year-round, so be on the lookout.
I’ve included a recipe for each in case you are looking for inspiration that could come in handy as well as some interesting dining notes for two of them that just opened up new restaurants that I’ve enjoyed. Wishing you and your family a joyful and blessed holiday!
BELLE OF DAYTON
122 Van Buren St., Dayton
937-867-2355 or belleofdayton.com
What to know: For a great vodka made close to home, buy a bottle of Dayton Vodka. It’s a smooth, crisp, refreshing option that comes with a great story. Buy it and add a tour and tasting at the distillery in the Oregon District for an impressive holiday bonus gift. The small-batch gin is a more recent addition to the marketplace.
The description the wrote for it is great: “So popular and riotous was gin in 1700s Britain, Parliament passed five laws to beat it back. Gin’s been glorified, vilified, waylaid and run out of town. Now, Dayton dry Gin, crafted in a small-batch, artisan distillery, shoots the notorious juniper berry full with a mutiny of flavors — rye, hops, lemon peel and coriander — steam-injected, vapor-infused flavors held captive in a four-plate copper column. Belle of Dayton offers a revival of the spirit for the audacious palette.” Dayton Small Batch Vodka, Dayton Hell’s Vodka and Dayton Gin by Belle of Dayton can all be found in local stores and restaurants.
RECIPE: DAYTON COSMO
Everything that’s old is new again, and the Cosmopolitan made exceedingly popular by the HBO juggernaut Sex in the City is making a comeback. It’s the perfect drink to ring in the holidays with. 1 ½ oz. Grey Goose L’orange vodka
½ oz. Cointreau liqueur
1 oz. cranberry juice
¼ oz. fresh lime juice Cubed ice
To garnish: orange zest Shake, shake, shake and strain into a martini glass.
BUCKEYE VODKA
827 S. Patterson Blvd., Dayton
937-228-1189 or buckeyevodka.com
What to know: Handcrafted in the Miami Valley using corn grown on
the farms of Ohio and in the Midwest, this is a clean spirit that has brought home awards for it’s traditional smooth taste. Being made entirely with corn makes it a gluten-free option to buy.
This is a great vodka for infusing if you want to experiment and hone your mixology skills. To do t hats imply pour yourself a cocktail using a new bottle of Buckeye Vodka to make room for the infusion. Using t hats ame bottle of Buckeye Vodka, drop in whatever you want to infuse (bacon, blueberries, rosemary, peaches, etc.).
The more you add, the more flavorful it’ll be. Screw the cap on tight .Wait one to two weeks and then enjoy.
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE BUCKEYE
Because you are what you drink. 2 oz. Buckeye Vodka
½ oz. Amarula Cream Liqueur
½ oz. Nut Liqueur
Mix ingredients in shaker. Shake. Pour into chilled crushed pretzel rimmed glass drizzled in chocolate syrup.
CLEVELAND WHISKEY
1768 E. 25th St., Cleveland
216-881-8481 or clevelandwhiskey.com What to know:
Named “Whiskey Distiller y Innovato ro fthe Year” at the Berlin International Spirits Competition, Cleveland Whiskey has won a total of thirtyeight medals at competitions around the world including twenty-six gold and double gold awards. Clearly distiller Tom Lix and his team are doing something right. The Cleveland Underground Select Brand is his line of high-tech Bourbon Whiskey finished with woods that include black cherry, hickory, apple and honey locust. They are all great buys fo rt he price with the Black Cherry option at the top of the list. This time of year be on the lookout for the Cleveland Christmas Bourbon, $40. These limited edition bottles are infused with caramel, vanilla, nutmeg and all of the flavors of the season. It’s the perfect pairing with egg nog, or a holiday mule with some ginger beer. If you are at a bar and lucky enough to spot it, pair it as a shot to sip with a Great Lakes Christmas Ale for the perfect match-up. Those Clevelanders really know what they are doing and this bottle shows. In 2014 Forbes named Cleveland Whiskey’s Christmas Bourbon one of the top gift selections of the year and it’s still true today.
RECIPE: WINTER WONDERLAND
1½ oz. Cleveland Christmas Bourbon
½ oz. orange liqueur
3 oz. eggnog Cinnamon stick to garnish Pour bourbon in to cocktail shaker with ice. Add orange liqueur and eggnog. Shake well. Strain into glass. Enjoy.
MIDDLE WEST SPIRITS
1230 Courtland Ave., Columbus
(614) 299-246 0 or middlewestspirits.com
What to know: In just seven years, this tiny craft distiller has exploded expanding their business, their footprint, their products and distribution. The makers of the OYO brands (named Ohio, or as some of t he natives call it, “oh- -WHY- oh”), their products include OYO Sherry Bourbon Whiskey, OYO Oloroso Wheat Whiskey, OYO Vodka, OYO Honey Vanilla Bean Vodka, OYO Barrel-Finished Honey Vanilla Bean Vodka, OYO Stone Fruit Vodka, OYO Whiskey, OYO Bourbon Whiskey Michel one Reserve, unaged Ohio White Rye Whiskey that’s barrel strength, OYO Dark Pumpernickel Rye Whiskey and Vim and Petal Gin. It it seems like a long list for a relatively new company, it is.
If these seem like an interesting line- up,itis. And the good news is, they are all worth trying. This is one of the best distilleries in the state and you can’t gowrong with any of the options they offer. These are bottles loaded with state ingredients and state pride.
RECIPE: SANGUINE EIFFEL
A classic Champagne cocktail with notes of cherry and peach.
1 oz. OYO Stone Fruit Vodka
1sugarcube
3 dashes Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters or Angostura bitters
3–4 oz. brut Champagne
Place the sugar cube in the bottom of a flute and add the bitters. Use cherry bitters for a more fruit-forward flavor; use Angostura bitters for a more traditional flavor. Add the vodka, then slowly fill the flute with Champagne. This i sap erfect cocktail torin gin the holidays with.
WATERSHED DISTILLERY
1145 Chesapeake Ave., Columbus
(614) 357-1936 or watersheddistillery.com What to know: This fantastic Columbus, Ohio distillery is hip and likes to have fun. Look no further than their home page which asks, “Are you sure you’re 21?” And the affirmative answers is “I was born before The Fugees released ‘The Score.’”
Their product line is Vodka, Four Peel Gin, Bourbon Barrel Gin, Bourbon, Old Fashioned and Nocino. All are excellent. The Four Peel Gin that Foodista called, “a serious contender for the best Gin in America,” is playful bouncing botanical and juniper notes with citrus taking centerstage. It is truly fantastic. The Watershed Old Fashioned ($33) is something I would have ran from several years ago in that it is aready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail. The bad rap these have gotten over the years has been proved wrong by products like this — an Old Fashioned that is ready to serve up — no fuss, no muss, just add ice. The trusty Old Fashioned, arguably one of the best cocktails ever made famous again with the television show Mad Men, is one of the earliest cocktails recorded dating back to the early 1800s. If you are going to give a RTD bottle, this is the one. This is a perfect bottle to bu y yourself if you’re throwing a holiday party and don’t want to deal with making cocktails on top of everything else.
RECIPE: HOLIDAY GIN & TONIC
If you decide not to go the super easy route with that Old Fashioned, this cocktail is as tasty as it is pretty and it’s easy to throw together. 1 ½ oz. Watershed Four Peel Gin
3 oz. of chilled tonic Handful of frozen whole cranberries
Rosemary sprig
Pour the gin and the tonic into a tall glass. Squeeze several thawed cranberries over the glass such that a bit of their bright red juice plops into the cocktail. Add the remaining frozen whole cranberries . Stick the rosemary sprig in to the glass and use it to stir.
Dayton Eats looks at the regional food stories and restaurant news that make mouths water. Menu updates, special dinners and events, new chefs, interesting new dishes and culinary adventures. Do you know of new exciting format changes, specials, happy hours, restaurant updates or any other tasty news you think is worth a closer look at? Email Alexis Larsen at alexis.e.larsen@hotmail.com with th e information an d we will work to include it in future coverage.