GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS FROM MULTNOMAH WHISKEY LIBRARY
This month we are celebrating a few of our collaborations with other great brands and local organizations, including two new additions to the MWL single barrel project: Maker’s Mark and Woodinville Rye! Our Education Manager, Colin Howard, shares his tasting notes on the Woodinville Rye in this month’s Under the Scope, and we’ve shared photos from our latest trip to Kentucky.
Closer to home, our partnership with Portland Japanese Garden has blossomed into an exciting pairing dinner to be held at MWL next week. Keep reading for more information on this special evening with Suntory Whisky!
In this issue as well, we share our recipe for a summer favorite: MWL’s riff on a caipirinha, the Big in Brazil. Plus, if you haven’t been in to the Library to check out Chef Jason’s new food menu, now is the time (pro tip: the short ribs are not to be missed).
As always, thank you for your readership, and we hope to see you soon!
Sincerely,
Your Friends at the Library
NEW & NOTEWORTHY SPIRITS
FREELAND SPIRITS GENEVA
Genever-inspired gin, 45 abv
Portland, OR
MAKERS MARK – MWL SINGLE BARREL
Limited Release Bourbon, 54.6 abv
Kentucky
ORPHAN BARREL – FORAGER’S KEEP
Limited Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky, dstlr Pittyvaich, 48 abv
Speyside, Scotland
BENRINNES 21YR
Special Release Single Malt Scotch, ck ex-bodega European oak, 56.9 abv
Speyside, Scotland
UNDER THE SCOPE
EDUCATION MANAGER COLIN HOWARD
FEATURING WOODINVILLE RYE MWL SINGLE BARREL
In the last five years, the whiskies of the Pacific Northwest have officially claimed their turf on the national scene. With each distillery bringing its own particular character to the glass, a shared drive for creativity and individuality has fashioned a common thread between these producers. From their branding to their diverse aging and distilling techniques, the leading whiskey distilleries of the PNW have made sure they are “about something.”
For the Woodinville Whiskey Co., just northeast of Seattle, their founding commitment to produce top class whiskies from local Washington grains has made their story and spirits wholly unique.
With so many farms around the country growing “whiskey” grains (corn, rye, wheat, and barley) it can be easy to forget that these crops are products of nature that can absorb and reflect nuanced elements of the environment from which they came. For Woodinville, it all starts with their close relationship to the Omlin Family Farm in Quincy, WA, where their grains are grown.
Arnie and Phyllis Omlin, owners of the farm, are true stewards of the environment. Their care ensures that Woodinville starts their whiskies with a quality of grain that simply can’t be produced from the massive volume farms. Decisions like this lend flavors and textures that can be hard to quantify, but are crucial in creating a spirit that transcends the sum of its simple ingredients.
So when it came time for us to choose our latest single barrel of rye at MWL, we immediately thought of Woodinville. Their whiskies celebrate the traditions of the spirit, while also bringing something new and genuine to the table. The cask strength 100% rye that our team chose is as much a dark and brooding spirit as it is fun and lively – not so different than life in the Pacific Northwest in fact.
Whether in a cocktail (and I recommend a Sazerac to start), or sipped from the glass, this is definitely a whiskey with big personality and voice all its own. Enjoy!
NEW COCKTAIL
Big in Brazil, by MWL Lead Bartender, Ross Richardson, is our house take on Brazil’s national cocktail: the caipirinha. A great way to beat the heat, this version takes the classic formula of cane sugar, muddled limes and cachaça, and adds a house-spiced orange reduction that highlights the fruit-forward flavor of Novo Fogo organic silver cachaça.
Available in The Green Room, Big in Brazil represents our growing efforts to reduce our footprint. An inspiring brand to work with, Novo Fogo is committed to protecting the pristine rainforest surrounding the distillery. In addition to using the whole lime (and not just the juice), Big in Brazil helps us cut down on our citrus waste by taking the oranges we peel for garnishes, and using them in the orange reduction.
To make:
Muddle lime and cane syrup in mixing tin. Add cachaça and spiced orange reduction*. Top with ice, shake well and pour over a big cube.
*Spiced Orange Reduction:
Bring one cup of orange juice and one whole star anise to a simmer. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and stir until dissolved. Allow to reduce by half. Strain and store in the refrigerator.
MWL + PORTLAND JAPANESE GARDENS
AN EVENING WITH SUNTORY CHIEF BLENDER EMERITUS,
SEIICHI KOSHIMIZU.
Thursday, July 18
6pm – 9pm
The Green Room
*Sold Out
For more information on this and other events at MWL, please email [email protected]
MWL, in partnership with Portland Japanese Garden, is honored to welcome special guest Seiichi Koshimizu for a remarkable evening at MWL. Following a cocktail reception, Mr. Koshimizu will guide us through tasting the component whiskies that make up the award-winning Hibiki. Guests will then be invited to sit and enjoy a 4-course paired dinner highlighted by lively discourse with Mr. Koshimizu.
MWL chef, Jason West, has prepared an exciting dining experience featuring seasonal Pacific Northwest ingredients and Japanese cooking techniques.
MWL Member Aki Nakanishi, Arlene Schnitzer Curator of Culture, Art & Education at Portland Japanese Garden, has been an enthusiastic collaborator on this event.
“This whisky lecture and tasting event was born out of a conversation with one of world’s few “Whisky Hall of Fame” inductees, Seiichi Koshimizu, who, as the Chief Blender Emeritus at Suntory, was instrumental in the creation of Yamazaki and Hibiki Japanese Harmony. These whiskies put Japanese whisky as a whole truly on the global map as a major force to be reckoned with,” Mr. Nakanishi says.
“When the talk turned to factors that connect the Japanese whisky culture with Oregon, it became instantly clear that there are many qualities common to the art of Japanese whisky-making and the crafts culture of Oregon.
They both show high respect for master craftsmanship by treating natural materials with a great understanding of the natural order of art and science. The fact that Suntory’s long tradition of only using wooden wash-back tanks in the critical maturation process relies largely on Oregon’s Douglas Firs, only adds to the excitement,” Mr. Nakanishi says.
“In praise of trees, water, terroir, and one of the most overlooked components of any great art, time, this occasion will go beyond the physical components of the highlighted whiskies, and find home in pilgrimage to the PNW’s most revered whisky venue – The Multnomah Whiskey Library.”
We look forward to welcoming our guests on Thursday!
MWL + MAKER’S MARK SINGLE BARREL PROJECT
After touring the distillery and surrounding landscape, MWL team members Ed Hutson, Cody Mulcahey and Kyle Sanders descended into the Maker’s Mark Cellar, an underground cave dug directly into the limestone shelf beneath the property. This cave is where Maker’s Mark 46 and their Private Select barrels are finished.
“The caves maintain a steady 52 degrees for the finishing process, and are reminiscent of the wine caves in Burgundy or Champagne. Once inside, we entered the tasting room and laboratory. Here, we were presented with the various stave options for the Private Select barrel,” Kyle says.
“To finish our barrel, we chose a combination of one American and four different French oak staves. After making the selection, we put the staves in the barrel and filled it ourselves. Then we started waiting.
Our barrel spent around three months in the cave at Maker’s Mark, before being bottled and sent to Portland. The finished whiskey is carefully curated, rich and complex. This barrel selection is now available in the Library – try it neat, in your favorite bourbon cocktail, or as the premium Old Fashioned available on the Scholar’s List. Let us know what you think!
UPCOMING EVENTS
JULY 16
Meet Your Maker with Dalmore
hosted by Craig Bridger, Dalmore Head of Education
Sold Out
JULY 18
Suntory Pairing Dinner
An Evening with Suntory Chief Blender Emeritus, Seiichi Koshimizu
Sold Out
JULY 31
Scottish Whisky 101
An exploration of the history and flavors of Scottish Whisky
Sold Out
AUGUST
Mezcal Cocktail Class
An exploration of the history and flavors of Scottish Whisky
Tickets Coming Soon
AUGUST
Pairing Dinner
A Tribute to New Orleans
Tickets Coming Soon
SEPTEMBER
Meet Your Maker
Maker’s Mark
Tickets Coming Soon