My landlord, Diane Paulson, is a cool chick. She and her fiance, David Eliasen, recently opened Cascade Peak Spirits, a micro distillery brewing organic vodka in my current home away from home, Ashland, Oregon.
Cascade Peak Spirits is the first organic distillery in Oregon making the first organic vodka, gin and whisky in the state.
Their first product is called Organic Nation Vodka and everything is handcrafted from the bottling to the labeling. When I went to renew my lease, I got to try it out. In a blind taste test vs Grey Goose and Square One (another organic vodka...albeit far inferior), we found Organic Nation Vodka was way better. No joke--it was smoother and more refined.
Right now, Diane and David are getting their pure spirits from a distillery in Idaho and then filtering it about six times. However, they've planted two acres of rye that will be ready for harvest in the fall.
For more info, check out their Web site at CascadePeakSpirits.com or email them at spirits@cascadepeakspirits.com . Send them ideas for new flavors too (my fingers are crossed for a Yuzu-flavored vodka which would totally rock). You can also read the May features on their new enterprise at Ashland Daily Tidings and The Mail Tribune.
Most importantly, buy their vodka! It's Oregon's first organic liquor, so support it. It's available, upon request, at all Oregon liquor stores and coming soon to Washington and Northern California. You can also request it at a bar or restaurant.
Locally, it is available at Ashland Liquor Store (40 Lithia Way, 541-482-4258) and West Main Liquor and Stevens Street Liquor stores in Medford. In Portland, Organic Nation Vodka is available at Pearl Specialty (900 NW Lovejoy, 503-477-8604).
