Brett Konen
Brett Konen is a barista, coffee specialist, journalist and overcaffeinated coffee enthusiast living in Seattle. A graduate of Whitman College with degrees in Sociology and Politics, she studies beverage culture and makes time for cooking, cribbage, travel and other adventures.

Bradley’s Kina Tonic

Brad Feather of Bradley’s Kina Tonic was a bartender and distiller working in Seattle who decided no one was doing tonic well enough. Digging a bit into the craft and history of tonic, Feather then decided he ought to try making his own. Pretty soon, others decided...

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Caffeination Cascadia: Making Coffee The Bad Boys Way

Ex-cons aren't the world's most common coffee suppliers. But that's exactly who's behind Bad Boys Brands, the North Bend, Washington-based coffee and outdoor supply company built by a group of guys who decided they could do more than cycle in and out of the system....

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Seattle Distilling Idle Hour Whiskey

“Purpose and joy in kettle and coil.” Those are the first words you’ll meet on Seattle Distilling’s website, and they’re printed again in gold foil on Idle Hour Whiskey’s beautiful sepia-toned label. For Idle Hour, the purpose is straightforward—a grain-to-bottle...

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Big Bottom Distilling Oregon Gin

Lately I’ve been interested in the development of regional Northwest gin styles—so interested that I investigated the topic as the cover story for our spirits-focused winter print issue. There are already a notable smattering of gins out there that classify themselves...

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Drifters: The Benson Hotel

Michael Rowland, The Benson Hotel’s chef concierge, is leaning against an impeccably polished baby grand piano in the aptly named Grand Suite, ticking through just some of the notable names that have called The Benson home for a night or more. He gets through several...

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Skip Rock Distillers Belle Rose Rum

Rum and wine aren’t always bedfellows, but Skip Rock Distillers thinks they make a fine combination. Rum is a recent addition to the lineup from the Snohomish-based distillery, which has recently released the white wine barrel-aged Belle Rose Rum, as well as an amber...

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Three Takeaways from TOAST 2015

This last weekend marked the fifth annual iteration of TOAST, and the event was well worth the drive down I-5. It brought together more than forty Northwest distillers to pour a wide range of products alongside craft cocktails, non-alcoholic complements (Raft...

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Dogwood Distilling Haint Absinthe

The recent renaissance of absinthe as more than just the forbidden fruit of the spirits world has led to a number of Northwest interpretations (and yesterday's National Absinthe Day). One addition to the category comes from Forest Grove, Oregon in the form of Dogwood...

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