Time is of the essence, on our side and precious, not to be wasted. So often time, age and maturation are all thought of as waiting games in beverage, but what about the time the drink itself honors? Welcome back to Bar Tab, our editor’s weekly picks of what to drink, this week celebrating time. The following drinks pay homage to the moment-measurement, from age to libations of yesteryear. So come on in, belly up to the counter and order a digital time-honored drink on us.
BelleWood Distilling Eau de Vie || It seems self-evident to say eau de vie de pomme, or apple brandy, is an old-world distillate but considering the wine-based brandies of France (see Hennessey and Courvoisier) that took over Hollywood, apple brandy is a foregone distillation making a recent resurgence in modern times. BelleWood, the Lynden, Washington, farm and distillery, has been producing its spirits from estate-grown apples since its inception and the family-owned operation spotlights this ethos in its eau de vie, a stunner of a sipper. Bombastic in fresh-sliced apple aromatics, the efficacious spirit is smoothed with silky textures and conjures up Gatsbian fantasies.
Cider Riot! Kingston Black || If Cider Riot! had a soul, it would be old. The Portland-based cidery has nostalgic connections to one of Oregon’s oldest cider apple orchards that owner and cidermaker Abram Goldman-Armstrong came of age on, while many of his ciders take on traits inspired by orthodox ciders seen in England’s West Country. From the Black Bloc Series, the Kingston Black (an English bittersharp cider apple variety with a 19th century heritage) is a brazen illustration of Cider Riot!’s devotion to the ciders of yore. Emboldened by the paragon cider apple, this single-varietal tipple stabilizes its powerhouse sugar, tannin and acid qualities in flavors of ripe apple, golden raisin and chalky earth, to the surprisingly subtle tune of 9.5 percent ABV.
Payette Brewing Co. Oktoberfest || Look no further for your autumnal volkfest celebrations than your own refrigerator, if stocked with Payette Brewing Oktoberfest. The marzen-style lager from Idaho’s largest brewery embraces the classic characteristics of the medium-bodied, caramel-coated lager, traditionally brewed between September and April, then consumed in sturdy tankards by lederhosen-garbed beer enthusiasts. One of the older beers on record (marzen recipes date back to 16th century Bavaria), Payette takes a lighter, contemporary route to the customary style. Aromas of barley, caramel, toast and creamy malts fill up the glass (stein?), keeping on the straight and narrow with malt as a focus and finishing with flavors of sweet wheat and cream.
Analemma Wines 2014 Gewürztraminer, Columbia Gorge || For a wine as idiosyncratic as Gewürztraminer, it is often pushed aside by the ill-formed discerning consumer, altogether missing the quirks, kinks and complexities a well-made rendition can offer. It could be because the varietal is hard to pronounce, it could be because the wine can be rather hyperbolic in aromatics reminiscent of Grandma’s cold cream or it’s because the consumer is yet to try this bottling from Analemma in Mosier, Oregon. From vines aging into their 40’s on the estate Atavus Vineyard in the Columbia Gorge, the Gewürztraminer from this husband-and-wife duo is animated and palatial with Bosc pear, cantaloupe, lemon peel and apple blossom, brushed with baking spices and weaved with buoyant acid that spreads lemon custard in its wake.
