A new generation of brewers and distillers are experimenting with unusual flavors and targeting industry trends in the process.
At Tennessee’s Corsair Distillery, you’ll find many of the hallmarks of today’s on-trend craft distillers and brewers. They use brash terms like “booze for badasses” alongside quality-driven descriptors like “handcrafted” and “small batch.” Whiskeys are made in a 100-year-old pot still, and the team seeks out old recipe books for inspiration. And yet, when it comes to the spirits themselves, Corsair is anything but traditional. Amaranth, teff, buckwheat, spelt — Corsair has used them all in their various Whiskeys. They 34
in the Mix Magazine
make a quinoa Vodka with quinoa sourced from the Andean mountains. They use triticale, a new grain variety developed by crossing wheat and rye. And a number of their Whiskeys are distilled from beers or made using hops, such as Hopmonster, Oatmeal Stout Whiskey, Rasputin, the latter being an experimental variety distilled from a Russian imperial stout beer. Corsair is just one of a new generation of distillers and brewers who are becoming more ambitious and experimental with their products. Now that the American craft beer and spirit industries have reached a point of maturity, new producers are shaking things up in an attempt to stand out and find a niche for more unusual varieties, while still maintaining an authentic and artisan image. Instead of sweet spirits with artificial flavors, they are distilling directly from alternative grains, fruits and vegetables. Washington’s Wishkah River Distillery is quick to point out that its Vodka is distilled from, not “flavored with,” honey.