SARATOGA COURAGE DISTILLERY
That’s me!
My fingers don’t even pick up one of the beautifully etched glasses before I’m hooked on the whole experience at Saratoga Courage Distillery. (Wilton Rd, Greenfield Center; “like” on Facebook for more info.) Serge Shishik is quite obviously a handyman in addition to being the owner and distiller. The space is spotless, decorated with a sliding barn door and farmhousestyle oversized letters that form words like “Drink” and the namesake signage “Saratoga Courage.” Shishik leads us up the stairs and into a funky loft overlooking the distillery for our private tasting. (This tasting room isn’t yet open to the public but keep an eye on his Facebook page for where he’s offering tastings locally.)
He’s poured generous helpings of each of his three Saratoga-themed libations. The first, Pick Six Vodka, has been on the market for about a year and is already distributed in about 135 restaurants, bars, and liquor stores, mostly in the Capital Region. It’s smooth, clean, and crisp, in keeping with the reputation of fine Vodka. Shishik says the purity of the flavor is partly due to the delicious natural spring that flows underground here and is used to cut the sixtimes distilled high proof GMO-free corn spirits he starts with.
The refreshments Serge pours next, however, skyrocket to the top of my tasting list. Both are classified as moonshines, which Shishik says is really not a classification at all. “Moonshine is a fanciful name. It doesn’t define anything. It falls under a generic class.” The flavors of the moonshines here are anything but generic. The Strawberry Jam tastes as though it should be spread onto a piece of buttered toast. The Apple is as scrumptious as pie. Like the Vodka, these are also distilled with GMO-free corn, so they are completely Gluten-free. I look across the table at Matt as I allow the delicious flavors to tickle my taste buds. We both agree, the only ingredient this needs to create a yummy cocktail is a sparkling water. I want to gift this to everyone on my holiday list, but there’s a slight catch- the Saratoga Courage Moonshine hasn’t hit the market yet because of a copyright issue with the name he chose. Shishik is hopeful it will be resolved in time for holiday sales and asks fans to keep an eye on the Saratoga Courage Facebook page for updates.
DAVIDSON BROTHERS BREWING CO. There’s no question about which beer is most popular at Davidson Brothers Brewing Company (184 Glen St, Glens Falls; and 1043 U.S. Route 9, Queensbury; (518)7439026; www.davidsonbrothers.com). According to co-owner Rick Davidson, the Davidson Brothers IPA has been the number-one seller since it was first brewed in 1996.
“It is a traditional British IPA, wellbalanced, a refreshing alternative to the very highly hopped American IPAs which are now so popular.” And as far as a gift selection, a company store at their new location in Queensbury offers everything from bottle openers to hoodies to books about craft beers and home brewing. (Shhh.. don’t tell Matt, but he just might find one of these in his stocking this year!) 52 | Simply Saratoga | HOLIDAY 2014
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