microshiner - autumn 12

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Definitive guide to the world of craft spiritsDefinitive guide to the world of craft spirits

Montgomery Distilling Doors open at Missoula, Montana’s

first and only microdistillery

Swanson’s Mountain View Orchards

Adding value with aged apple brandy

and honey spirits

Portland hosts the 8th Annual

Great American

Distiller’sFestival

MicroShinerMicroShinerMicroShiner Autumn 2012

2 │ MicroShiner .com


CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTS featurefeaturefeature

Autumn 2012Autumn 2012Autumn 2012

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MontgomeryMontgomery

DistilleryDistillery

Great American Great American

Distiller’s FestivalDistiller’s Festival

Swanson’sSwanson’s

Mountain View OrchardsMountain View Orchards

craftcraftcraft

888 101010

MusicMusic

DesignDesign

565656 ArtisanArtisan


Publisher Cobey Williamson

Contributing Editor

Noel Phillips

Art Director Annie Young

Working Dog Media LLC

1406 Summerdale Rd Corvallis, MT 59828


Robin Johnson is a writer, Robin Johnson is a writer,

farmer,farmer, outdoorsman, and outdoorsman, and

Northwest native living in Port-Northwest native living in Port-

land, Oregon. land, Oregon.

He writes about science, agri-He writes about science, agri-

culture, the environment and, culture, the environment and,

more recently, the process of more recently, the process of

crafting the communitycrafting the community--

building fluids we love so building fluids we love so

much.much.

Brian Johnson is a freelance Brian Johnson is a freelance

photographer based in photographer based in

Missoula, Montana.Missoula, Montana.

He and his wife operate He and his wife operate

www.ayresphotography.com www.ayresphotography.com

Noel Phillips has been writing Noel Phillips has been writing

since she first encountered since she first encountered

crayons and primary pa-crayons and primary pa-

per.per. She has graduated to the She has graduated to the

world of laptops and freelance world of laptops and freelance

magazine writing but is still magazine writing but is still

known to pull those crayons out known to pull those crayons out

occasionally.occasionally. When she's not When she's not

writing, she may be hard to find writing, she may be hard to find

since she could be out climbing, since she could be out climbing,

hiking, backpacking, kayaking, hiking, backpacking, kayaking,

road biking, dancing, paddleroad biking, dancing, paddle--

boarding, or kicking clients’ boarding, or kicking clients’

butts at her personal training butts at her personal training

and yoga studio.and yoga studio.

contr ibutorscontr ibutorscontr ibutors

Email us: [email protected]


Let ter f rom the publ isher

There is so much to love about the

craft spirit movement. Enjoying standing room

only and the best vodka I have ever tasted at Montgomery

Distillery during a First Friday, I can’t help but feel good

about being a part of this scene. Every single facet appears

bound and determined to stand a head above the rest. And

as I peel back the layers, I find the scale of its compass

to be truly inspiring.

Of the three, movement for me is most key. It’s where the rubber meets the road. You can have

craft, you can have spirit, but if there is no movement, where can it take you? Without movement,

the rest is a sealed room.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m first to take a flask to hunting camp or a tailgate, and I love that I can

now fill that flask with honey spirits from Swanson’s Orchard or with Quicksilver vodka from

Montgomery’s in Missoula. It thrills me to know that Lukas has barrels of brandy aging just up the

road and that I’m helping Ryan and Jenny get their business off the ground. But what really excites

me is the larger consequence that the significant growth in micro distilling implies.

There is a movement, to smaller, closer, more personal. It can be found in any industry you care to

look. From clothes and food to tools and custom motorcycles, people are seeking out small batch

production more and more. It’s certainly not the majority, but it can’t be overlooked.

Because it’s a movement. One that has only just begun.

Salute!

Cobey Williamson

Publisher

MicroSh iner

Each word of the label suggests a near infinite realm of

possibility. Craft. Spirit. Movement. Each expression

noteworthy in its own right and, when used together, capable of

evoking an alternate universe ably fashioned of quality, refinement, and

distinction. A world filled with superior goods, made by hand in well-formed

and thought out spaces by artisans who border on friends, and whose value is greater

than their mere economic worth. It’s bigger than a trend. It’s a movement.


Rose’s Pawn Shop

I was enjoying a meal on the balcony of our local brewery with my in-laws when Rose’s Pawn

Shop started playing, and I had to get out of my seat to see just exactly who I was hearing. From the very first intro, I was sold, and

when I returned to our table I had a big grin on my face and it wasn’t from

the Nut Brown Ale. “New favorite band,” I told the wife.

What seals the deal with Rose’s for me, beyond their superb musicianship,

excellent songwriting, and unassuming style, is their almost undeniable ap-

peal. Before we left the brewery, my father-in-law bought their album. My

wife and her sister love them, and my boy has pretty much been reared on

Rose’s. Play the cut Dancing on the Gallows from the album of the same

name while cruising down the highway and you best prepare to see a two

year old in a car seat come unglued.

You really don’t get better than this blend of Appalachia and Hollywood.

Rose’s has the ferocity of Henry Rollins, the relevance of Woody Guthrie,

and the foot-stompin’ authority of an honest to goodness square dance

caller. Do yourself a favor. If they come to a venue near you, go see them.

You’ll be happy you did.

The latest offering from Rose’s Pawn Shop is called The Arsonist.

Craft: Music


Larry and his Flask

The name says it all for Larry and his Flask.

There is no one in the band named Larry, and their sound

closely resembles a fire-breathing whiskey drunk. Their

fusion of punk rock and old timey is the musical equiva-

lent of the Coen Brothers combining No Country For Old

Men with Oh Brother Where Art Thou? You can either

like it or get the hell out of its way.

The true beauty of the Flask is their undying marriage to

the road. Live music is akin to Nirvana in the digital age,

and the Flask has it spades and brings it with a vengeance.

Getting a studio album out of them is like pulling teeth. Its

sucks before, and it’s no fun during, but it has to be done

and we’re better off for it. Here’s to the road, Larry.

Salute!

Pick up their latest EP called Hobo’s Lament

Traff the Wiz

Traff is to hip-hop music what craft distilling is to

spirits: he’s got the skills to hold it down with the best of them, but

he’s filled to the brim with local flavor. Born and bred under the big

sky of Montana, Traff overflows with small town American angst, but

wields the mic with a philosophical bent that would make a college

lecturer proud. He has the poet’s gift, able to express the universal

through the specific, and his rhymes are filled with homegrown props

and landmark drops that evoke landscapes and experiences that ring

true whether they are native or not. Like a shot of small batch whis-

key, Traff the Wiz gives you a taste of places you have never been

but already know, lights a fire in your belly, and then finishes smooth,

leaving you feeling warm and fuzzy and already coming back for

more.

Check out his latest drop Traffghanistan at

http://traffthewiz.bandcamp.com/album/traffghanistan

http://traffthewiz.bandcamp.com/album/traffghanistan


Craft: Design

David Lyman Design - Lake Forest Park, WA

David Lyman’s LEED AP design and illustration practice has

focused on the hospitality industry for nearly 20 years. Working

with restaurateurs, hoteliers, casino and resort owners, his specialty

is the early, efficient study of a

client's intentions and goals. Collab-

orative communication of those

goals leads rapidly to conceptual

designs that allow the client to re-

main in control of the process.

Design Illustration is a

specialty, from Quick-

Sketch rapid visualization,

to fully-developed finished

Renderings.

All (or any) conceptual

design aspects are offered:

Floor Plan layout options, Site

Plan layout studies of any

scale, Architectural

Design and Interior Planning,

Tenant Improvement Layouts.

Using the time-honored combination of brain, eye, and hand,

David's sketch-design expertise allows for very time-effective

turnaround. He provides design drawings that actually make it

easy to understand where the project is going- and which allow

for change along the way. David offers Computer 3-D modeling,

another effective tool in designing and communicating ideas.

Contact David Lyman Design via: www.lyman-design.com

phone (206) 361-1355 or email at: [email protected]

http://www.lyman-design.com/

tel:%28206%29%20361-1355

mailto:[email protected]


Photograph by Derek Young │ Guided Eye Photography


Words by Noel Phillips │ Photographs by Brian Johnson


Montgomery Distillery Missoula, Montana’s first micro-distiller offers craft spirits and a refined atmosphere


It began as a joke. Ryan and Jenny Montgomery were looking to return to the States from

Malta (as in the island south of Sicily). They had a new son and wanted to raise him in Missoula, Montana, so they sat down

and created a list of businesses that would work well in this western college town.

“Number one was make whiskey, kind of as a joke,” Ryan explains, laughing. But then they started meeting with distillers and

realized that they might just have the golden ticket granting them access to life in Missoula. Home to a number of successful

craft breweries and a population passionate about supporting locally made product, Ryan felt it was the right place to build a

distillery. It was the sort of town that “seemed like a great place to try out new things.”


Having no background in distilling

did not stop Ryan. He had experience in home

brewing, and enjoyed whiskey and cocktails, and

as he puts it, “a lot of businesses are started by

people that enjoy something and want to make it.”

Armed with his passion, he traveled to distilling

schools in Scotland and another put on by Dry Fly

Distillery out of Spokane, Washington, and

learned the art.

And make it he did. Vodka, to be specific. And

not just any vodka. Quicksilver Vodka stays true

to its Montana roots with its clean flavor and

slightly buttery mouth feel, instantly bringing to

mind the pure, crisp water of the high mountains

that surround Missoula and the locally harvested

wheat used in the distilling process. The 21 plate

rectifying column ensures maximum contact with

copper, removing the sulfites and providing the

clean taste vodka is known for.


Vodka is not all Ryan has up his sleeves, though.

Whyte Ladie Gin, three types of whiskey, liqueurs, and shrubs

(mixtures of fruit, sugar and vinegar) will be on future menus. Mont-

gomery master distiller Ryan Newhouse was hard at work in the dis-

tillery beneath the tasting room with several varieties of shrubs, such

as rhubarb-cinnamon, honey, Dixon melon, Flathead cherry, and a

coffee liqueur made from beans from the local Black Coffee Roasting

Company. The gin, flavored with botanicals harvested from the

mountains, was just about to be tested, so consumers should see it on

the distillery shelves in the near future. Better buckle on some pa-

tience for the whiskey, though. It’s still three years out.

The liqueurs and shrubs, though, are already appearing on Montgom-

ery Distillery’s creative cocktail menu. Jenny Montgomery is the

brains behind the ever-changing menu that features drinks like the

Indian Summer, a refreshing blend of vodka, lime juice, agave syrup,

muddled strawberry, and jalapeno; and Fat-Washed Vodka, featuring

chilled vodka infused with acorn-fed hog fat and garnished with a

cheese-stuffed olive.


Sitting at the handcrafted bar, a replica of one

owned and operated by Ryan’s great-great-uncle, beneath big game

mounts donated by the Boone and Crockett Club, it is easy to be

transported back to the late nineteenth century, a time when western

saloons tried to bring a little glamour to their rough environs by

emulating the upscale bars of New York and Chicago. The space

Montgomery Distillery occupies on Front Street in downtown Mis-

soula is no greenhorn when it comes to changing with the city. Its

previous incarnations include saloon, liquor store, bordello, gentle-

men’s clothier, farm equipment supplier, outdoor gear store, and

now distillery and tasting room.

Most distilleries are in industrialized areas, but Ryan believed it

was important to have a location in the heart of the city. He wanted

to “bring something to downtown that hasn’t been here before.” A

unanimous vote by the city council demonstrated that Missoula was

ready for something different as well.

Not only does Montgomery Distillery try to bring something new

and interesting to the marketplace with its well-crafted spirits, but

they also give back to the community in the way of charitable con-

tributions, and in maintaining an environmentally sound enterprise.

Waste produced through the distilling process is composted and

given as feed to pigs at a local farming collective and to companies

like Blue Marble Biomaterials.

Missoula has high expectations for its homegrown businesses, and

residents love their local products. Ryan Montgomery hopes to live

up to those expectations and “make people proud we are here.”


The Great American The Great American The Great American

Distillers FestivalDistillers FestivalDistillers Festival

Port land br ings the wor ld of craf t sp i r i ts to the Pac i f ic Nor thwest at the 8th annual

Words and photos by Robin Johnson

It was a typically gray weekend in the Rose City,

and rain slapped the wet pavement of downtown Portland. The weather may have been cold

and dreary, but for about 1,000 admirers of fine liquor, the 8th annual incarnation of the Great

American Distillers Festival offered a warm refuge from the elements.

From every corner of the nation (and even one from Brazil), craft distillers descended on the

city of Portland, Oregon, in order to showcase their small batch liquors, as well as mix and

pour samples of their holiday specialty cocktails. Within the mass of finely-tuned blends,

all designed to conjure nostalgic remembrances of fall, three particular distillers managed to

marry a perfect combination of sweet and spicy essence that made their liquor come through

smooth and warm.

Louisville Distilling Co. poured a "Fallen Angel"; aptly named after

their Angel's Envy Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey which was the base liquor for the

drink. A combination of Ruby port, lemon juice, apple cinnamon fall syrup, aromatic bitters,

and orange peel (flamed, of course) was one of the three mixology contest winners.


Sound Spirits of Seattle pulled out all the stops as well, inventing

their very own "Self Starter". The cocktail

is a mixture of their Ebb+Flow Gin, ab-

sinthe, Cocci Americano, and apricot

brandy. The strong absinthe flavor didn't

overpower, as it was only used to rinse

the chilled coupe that the drink was mixed

in. Sound Spirits is a landmark distiller in

the Northwest as Seattle's first distillery

since Prohibition. Their liquor has a lot to

live up to and it does so with humility.

Portland's own Bull Run

Distilling Co. poured the

most talked-about cocktail (likely due to

their use of pumpkin butter). The

"Temperance Harvest" was a mixture of

Bull Run's Temperance Trader Bourbon,

pumpkin butter, fresh lemon juice, An-

gostura bitters, and dry hard cider. The

drink was then finished with whipping

cream, more bourbon, and a dash of all-

spice. It's no doubt that on a cold, rainy

weekend, the most buttery drink got the

most buzz.

Although the event provided liquor enthu-

siasts with a variety of spirits, many dis-

tillers focused on bringing character back

to vodka, claiming that many large distill-

eries have saturated the vodka market

with odorless and tasteless vodkas.

Instead, distilleries like OYO (out of

Ohio) and Dry Fly (of Eastern Wash-

ington) make their vodka from scratch

and use locally sourced soft white wheat

to produce a round, flavorful alcohol.


By their careful distilling

process, oily fusil alcohols are removed

without sacrificing the integrity of the vod-

ka. These legitimate vodkas instill a sense

of place within the drinker distinctively re-

flective of their origins. Dry Fly won the

World's Best Vodka in 2009 and was the

first distillery in Washington State, essen-

tially writing the laws for future Washing-

ton distilleries.

Portland's own distilleries had a strong

presence at the event, their products stand-

ing out and their booths swarmed. But as

seems to be the case with northwest micro

distilleries, these crafters are still new to the

market. According to the folks at Portland’s

New Deal Distillery, there

was no micro distilling industry at all when

they tried to get their start in 2001. New

Deal paired up with other distillers in the

area and formed Distillery Row, a commu-

nity of practicing distillers in Southeast

Portland who would break into the industry

together through what could be called a dis-

tiller's incubator. Now, after 9 years, people

are finally becoming aware of the move-

ment as the industry matures.

Thanks to successful events such as the

Great American Distiller's Festival, the

craft movement is not only alive but thriv-

ing in the Pacific Northwest. And although

competition is tough, distillers throughout

the nation are finding at these forums the

inspiration to create better spirits all across

the country. Expect liquor devotees to be

eagerly awaiting next year's Festival, where

they can retreat from the omnipresent Port-

land drizzle and warm themselves from the

inside out.


Photograph by Taylor Stasulas


Photography by Derek Young │ Guided Eye Photography


Swanson’sSwanson’s Mountain View OrchardsMountain View Orchards

& Distillery& Distillery

A fourth generation apple grower finds a niche for himself and his products in the world of craft spirits

Words and photos by Cobey Williamson


“If you can’t taste the ingredients,

what’s the point?”

If you were out to find the embodiment of small batch production,

you need look no further than Lukas Swanson’s distillery. It’s a one man operation,

situated on the family apple orchard in Corvallis, Montana, and the apple brandy and honey spirits it produces have Lukas’ hands on them

from end to end.

“It’s the only distillery in the state of Montana that grows, ferments, distills and bottles their product,” Lukas says.

Established in 1909 by Lukas’ great grandfather, Swanson’s Mountain View Orchards has been family owned and operated for four genera-

tions. A surplus crop in 2007 got Lukas thinking about alternative sources of revenue and new outlets for their product. When he looked out

east he found many orchards were making wine or distilling, and the business model appealed to him.

That was also the year that micro-distilling became legal, and Lukas considered it a growth market. After some diligent research and plan-

ning, he began the process and became a licensed distiller in January 2011.

With a wealth of raw ingredient, apple brandy was the logical product of choice. Lukas also saw a niche.

“If you go down to the liquor store,” he says. “Good brandy is hard to find.”

He also points out that there is nostalgia for products such as hard cider and apple jack. When people come to an apple orchard, he notes,

they want an apple based product.


Lukas’ first run of traditional apple brandy will be aged

three years in charred white oak. He tests his product in ten gal-

lon barrels, experimenting with three different levels of toasting

and charring, however Lukas makes a point to never allow the

barrel aging to overshadow his ingredients. His upbringing as an

apple man shines through in his distilling philosophy, which is to

create value added agricultural products, not just booze.

“If you can’t taste the ingredients, what’s the point?” he asks.

“That’s the line I don’t want to cross with what I make.”

With his first batch of brandy barreled and aging, Lukas turned

his attention on making spirits from honey. First he distills honey

mead then ages it for one year, imparting the unique honey spirit

with a sweet flavor reminiscent of bourbon. He likes the charac-

ter and balance, but depending on demand may experiment with

longer aging. Aging, he explains, is driven by demand.

It’s these simple principles of micro-economics that hold so much

allure for many involved with small batch production. Distribu-

tion, on the other hand, is an entirely different animal.

Alcohol distribution in Montana follows the three tier system,

and the State of Montana maintains a monopoly on wholesaling.

All sales to retailers must originate, physically, from the state

warehouse in Helena, a service for which the state takes a sizea-

ble percentage. Still, this doesn’t deter Lukas or detract from his

savvy business sense and obvious enthusiasm.


“It doesn’t make sense to me the way the system is set up, but it is what it is,” he says.

“Right now, I’m not looking to get into that and I’m not at that scale.”

The system of state wholesalers and distribution networks seems stacked against the smaller distilleries who, even if they can afford to

participate, still have to find a way to market their products to retailers, but Lukas remains optimistic. The volume of retail traffic the

apple and cider products bring through the orchard provide him with ample exposure, and he hopes that changes in the future will

make the retail environment more favorable.

For now he intends to let the business dictate growth, not committing to any particular track or invest too heavily in any one thing. His

plan is to pay off his current investment in equipment and expand the distillery into the main apple and cider processing facility in

order to capitalize on shared resources and efficiencies. For Lukas, a Cornell graduate with a background in physics and chemistry

and a master’s degree in applied engineering, time is an asset.

“With distilled products, shelf life is value added,” he says.


Photograph by Mariah Harper


Photograph by Vincent Buckley │ VBuckley.com

54 │ MicroShiner .com Photograph by Vincent Buckley │ VBuckley.com


D. Blair

Moore

Artisan:

D. Blair Moore is an artist who makes

things that serve a purpose. A blacksmith by trade, he

trained at the Missoula College of Technology and was mentored in the craft by the

American College of the Building Arts and master blacksmiths in Madison, Wisconsin.

Having done the plug and weld kind of job, which he calls “fun but not quite as enter-

taining,” he began to realize the opportunities in creating steel objects. Currently he

focuses on functional home accessories and artistic hardware that can be built on a

small scale and kept on hand but he notes, “bring me an idea and I’ll do my best

to get it done.”

DBM Blacksmith exemplifies the notion of small batch, hand built

production, where clients have the opportunity to meet the person making the product

and provide input to the process. D. Blair Moore creates made-to-order and custom

steel objects that reflect both his distinct style and his client’s personal taste.

Based in Missoula, Montana, DBM Blacksmith is available for both

on-site projects and delivered goods. Visit his website and Etsy store to learn more

about his operation and to find an assortment of his handmade metal items including

barbecue utensils, ornamental copper roses, and candlestick holders.

DBM Blacksmith

www.dbmblacksmith.com

www.etsy.com/shop/DBMblacksmith

email: [email protected]

phone: 406.531.5220

https://plus.google.com/u/2/114603007064038373933

https://plus.google.com/u/2/114603007064038373933


Photography by DBM Blacksmith │ DBMblacksmith.com


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Photograph by Vincent Buckley │ VBuckley.com


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