Hood River Distillers, Oregon’s first distillery celebrates practically a century of crafting award-winning spirits from the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.
In 2020, generational member of the family Ronald Dodge, Govt Vice Chair, handed the reins of the corporate to business veteran David Ballew, who was subsequently named President and CEO in 2022.
Beneath Ballew’s management, HRD has centered on its premium model portfolio, innovation, and growth to new markets. We ask him to inform us extra.
Discuss to us about Hood River Distillers, its historical past and heritage.
Based months after the Repeal of Prohibition in 1934, Hood River Distillers is the oldest and largest distillery within the Pacific Northwest. Founders Albert Peters, Edwin Pooley, and Edgar McClain started making fruit wine and brandies from the abundance of fruit within the area, taking solely a quick hiatus to make industrial alcohol for the battle effort.
By the late 40s brandy’s reputation started to wane with People who had begun to favor vodka because the tipple of alternative, and in 1949, three West Coast businessmen, whose households are nonetheless house owners to at the present time, bought the operations and the corporate transitioned to rectification. By the late 50s Hood River Distillers had begun mixing and bottling spirits for distribution all through the Pacific Northwest.
Launching and nurturing dozens of manufacturers over the a long time, Hood River Distillers noticed that the reply to the long run was returning to its brandy-making roots. With the acquisition of Clear Creek Distillery in 2014 and Captive Spirits in 2016, the corporate now provides a portfolio of manufacturers that span each stage on a liquor retailer shelf, and practically each spirit a cocktail bar would want. From worth to premium, amaro to whiskey, Hood River Distillers has all of it, with liquid credentials that hold clients coming again for extra.
One other massive a part of the imaginative and prescient is recognizing the significance of embracing our model companions and genuine spirits throughout the portfolio. In 2013, Hood River Distillers bought Lucid Absinthe Supérieure, the primary real absinthe made with actual Grand Wormwood to be legally accessible in the US. The corporate nonetheless works carefully with the creator and founding father of Lucid, T.A. (Ted) Breaux, who labored diligently with the TTB to get a 95-year ban lifted.
Inform us about your spirits manufacturers—What units them aside?
Hood River Distillers has a wealthy historical past of being progressive with our manufacturers. We additionally strongly imagine in giving customers distinctive worth for his or her hard-earned greenback. But, there’s one factor we’re uniquely blessed with – our distinctive water supply. Our beautiful homebase within the shadow of Oregon’s Mount Hood gives us entry to glacier-fed spring water, and this water is utilized in all merchandise which are produced and bottled at Hood River Distillers.
Recognizing not solely the significance of this useful resource, but additionally the way it aligns with our firm values, we’ve partnered with The Freshwater Belief, a Portland-based non-profit that makes use of intensive analysis and science to guard and restore freshwater ecosystems throughout the West and past. We offer a beneficiant annual contribution, and since our partnership began in 2021, we’ve donated simply shy of $100,000 to this group and sit up for persevering with this relationship.
Along with our distinctive water supply, which we imagine to be the very best tasting water within the US, our spirits have a good time the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. Award-winning manufacturers equivalent to Clear Creek fruit brandies and liqueurs, Timberline Vodka, and Previous Scrumptious Apple Brandy are made utilizing the plentiful and scrumptious fruit which grows inside a 200-mile radius of our Distillery. Our portfolio additionally boasts groundbreaking American Whiskeys, together with McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt – the primary American Single Malt in the US – and Path’s Finish Bourbon, each completed with Oregon Oak.
Our staff is devoted to the artwork of craft spirits, which is mirrored in each bottle supplied to customers – whatever the value level. We have now a staff of 80 staff, and we’re fond of claiming there are lots of fingerprints on each bottle. We’re happy with what we provide to clients within the on- and off-premise, and we’re dedicated to being leaders in high quality and innovation, whereas supporting our neighborhood.
What’s necessary for bartenders to learn about your expressions?
Hood River Distillers strives to offer premium merchandise that aren’t solely loved neat, but additionally improve a cocktail slightly that getting misplaced amongst mixers. For instance, Batanga Tequila is a 100% agave tequila that highlights the agave and enhances a margarita slightly than getting overpowered. Large Gin was created by bartenders for bartenders. Not solely does the model have a London Dry expression, but it surely additionally performs with barrel-aged expressions. Timberline Vodka is exclusive in that it combines grain and non-GMO apples from the Pacific Northwest to make sure it has a clean and alluring profile. And, for many who need to geek out on historical past and distinctive expressions, we provide the First American Single Malt, McCarthy’s, in a 3-year-aged, 6-year-aged, and different restricted expressions equivalent to Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Finishes.
Spirits manufacturers are innovating to draw a brand new era of drinkers. Discuss to us about this idea.
Any model price its legacy should discover a method to entice new customers and Hood River Distillers isn’t any exception. We not too long ago launched Forthwest Whisky, which has a well timed and highly effective vitality about transferring ahead, whatever the course. We all know that significantly after the final a number of years, customers are craving optimism, enjoyable and an embrace of the fabulous. The Forthwest portfolio is made up of significant whiskies for light-hearted events, that carry sudden massive daring flavors. We not too long ago launched with three flavored whiskies crafted utilizing customized and proprietary pure taste blends. We dare you to strive our Shiny Apple, Large Peach or Spice of Life – you’ll by no means return to some other taste. As well as, we’ve launched an distinctive 5-Yr-Previous Blended Canadian Whisky, which is unflavored as a result of we all know some customers like their whisky, nicely to style like whisky. Additionally, in contrast to most flavored whiskies, the Forthwest Whisky flavored portfolio is bottled at 80 proof, as is the unflavored whisky.
However greater than delivering on new and thrilling merchandise, we are also being attentive to what our youthful customers are telling us. Youthful adults help manufacturers that share their values. Sustainability and accountable enterprise practices are necessary to them, so we’re incorporating recycled glass into new packaging and new product launches, and our help for The Freshwater Belief mirrors their concern for the setting.
What are bartenders doing with a few of your manufacturers / what sorts of cocktails are they creating?
Bartenders need the very best substances of their cocktails and that’s the place Hood River Distillers’ portfolio actually delivers in each basic cocktails and distinctive recipes. Our pal and companion in DeGroff Spirits, Dale DeGroff not too long ago created a cocktail known as Departure that options each our Batanga Tequila Reposado and DeGroff New World Amaro. Keenan O’Brien at Westward in Seattle created a refreshing Cucumber Tarragon Agua Fresca and paired it with Batanga Tequila Blanco, lime, and agave syrup. For the classics, equivalent to mule, they’re taking part in with including taste, equivalent to swapping out the vodka for our Forthwest Large Peach Whisky and it’s actually scrumptious. For a twist on a basic, our pal Max Barwick in Greensboro, NC makes use of Lucid Absinthe in a customized creation with bitters, rum, contemporary lime juice and Falernum to create what Ted Breaux calls essentially the most scrumptious Daiquiri he’s ever had. And for a variation on the Cosmo, Robbie Wilson, Bar Proprietor and Supervisor in Portland, Oregon created The Cosmos, which options Timberline Vodka, Monarch Triple Sec, Clear Creek Cranberry Liqueur, and lime juice.
What’s subsequent for HRD?
We’re proud to be celebrating Hood River Distillers’ ninetieth Anniversary this 12 months – and sit up for many extra years to return. We’ve spent a lot of the previous 5 years refining and constructing our award-winning portfolio. We’ve introduced many new merchandise to market, equivalent to Batanga Tequila, Timberline Vodka, Forthwest Whisky, DeGroff Aperitivo & Amaro, and particular barrel finishes for McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt and Path’s Finish Bourbon. We’ve additionally undergone bundle redesigns for Large Gin, Sinfire Whisky, Simple Rider Bourbon, and the total Clear Creek portfolio, and eventually, we’ve opened our new Tasting Outpost in downtown Portland. We’ve received an excellent staff, and nice manufacturers and now we’re able to develop!
