On Saturday, December 3, the doors of Southern Tier Distilling Company were officially opened to the public for a grand unveiling party. The event followed on the heels of a soft opening earlier this fall, which offered visitors a chance to sample from the first batches of spirits crafted by master distiller James Waltz. Along with its sister company, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Southern Tier Distilling Co., owned by Ross Seeley, aims to offer patrons from Western New York and beyond hand-crafted spirits that reflect the unique tastes of the region.
Saturday’s grand opening also served as the launch party for the distillery’s newest creation, a smoked bourbon whiskey, and featured acoustic music by Tyler Smilo and food by The Que Abides foodtruck.
Attendees were free to tour the back-of-house operations at the distillery’s Stoneman Circle location in Lakewood, NY. Patrons took in the scenery of a gorgeous hand-crafted German still and walked amongst the towering racks of aging barrels that produce and house Southern Tier products. An exclusive IPA from Southern Tier Brewing was also available on tap to guests.
In addition to food and music, the evening’s menu also included a pair of handcrafted cocktails, courtesy of veteran barman Nick Dean of Forte restaurant in Jamestown. As a riff on the now ubiquitous Moscow Mule, Dean crafted the Pistachio Mule, a sweet and earthy blend of Southern Tier American Whiskey fat-washed in cashew butter, pistachio-infused Southern Tier Corn Whiskey, pistachio syrup, ginger beer, and lime juice.
The Pistachio mule recipe balances the natural sweetness of the American and corn whiskeys with the rich nutty flavor of pistachios and cashews, with the ginger beer and citrus juice providing a background of tart and sweet notes. This cocktail was a crowd-pleaser for those who enjoy sweet and sour flavors, and also builds on the growing popularity of drinks in the Moscow mule tradition. The drink also offers a great starting point for those who may not know much about the baseline flavors of corn whiskey, and are interested in trying something beyond the traditional vodka and gin mules.
Dean partnered the Pistachio Mule with a contrasting mix of flavors in the French 75, a crisp and refreshing combination of Southern Tier Citrus Gin, 75 Champagne and fresh lemon syrup. In spite of the weather outside of the Distillery on the eve of its grand opening, the French 75 brought to mind a warm summer’s day with dry notes from the champagne mixing with the well-balanced botanicals that are the hallmark of Southern Tier Citrus Gin. The background lemon and lime flavors of the gin were enhanced by the addition of fresh lemon juice, giving way to a simple but delicious drink that would be perfectly at home on a lakefront patio.
The star of the evening was the newly unveiled Southern Tier Smoked Bourbon, which was met with praise. The recipe for this bourbon begins with 80 percent corn, 16 percent smoked cherrywood malt and a final four percent of chocolate malt to balance out the flavor profile of the mash. The result is aged in bourbon barrels for seven months where it acquires the oaky character of casks that have been purposefully selected from some of the finest bourbon distilleries in the world.
While purists may debate whether or not Southern Tier’s new offering meets the esoteric criteria of a “true bourbon,” the results are hard to argue with. Pouring out a golden amber, the smoked bourbon offers hints of cherrywood on the nose, and comes with slightly less sweetness than would be found in your favored Kentucky bourbons. The finish carries through nicely with a hint of the chocolate malt, riding on a backbone of soft, charred oak that characterizes all great bourbon whiskeys. The smoked cherrywood malt adds a subtle nod towards the more smoke-heavy character of some Scotch whiskeys while maintaining the character of bourbon. Is it bourbon? Is it a bourbon flavored whiskey? Luckily every bottle that comes out of Southern Tier Distilling Co. comes stamped with a motto that answers those questions and the many more that are sure to come: “Why the hell not?”
