Welcome to Sip Northwest’s Bar Tab, a weekly selection of what to drink in the Northwest now. Come on in, belly up to the counter and order an allegorical drink on us: here are our recommendations of what to splash in your glass this week.
Wild Roots Spirits Oregon Marionberry-infused Vodka | Marionberries have roots in Oregon’s vast agricultural background. A hybrid of Chehalem blackberry and Olallieberry blackberry, this native fruit to the land juices with berry in this infusion from Portland’s Wild Roots Spirits. Blend more than a pound per bottle of the fruit into the five-time distilled and five-time filtered grain-based vodka and you’ve got yourself an unctuous, flavorsome sipper that is true Oregon berry flavor and texture. Try over ice or in the Oregon Mule (2 ounces of this, plus an ounce of lime juice topped off with ginger beer). | $33
Avennia 2014 Oliane Sauvignon Blanc | For winemaker Chris Peterson, Walla Walla Community College Enology and Viticulture program’s first graduate and admitted Francophile, the French-inspired wines of his Avennia winery are angled at purity. This clarity comes from the fruit itself, which receives entirely native fermentation, sans any filtering or fining and with the undertaking of malolactic fermentation. A catalog of provocative bottlings, this Sauvignon Blanc—sourcing from Yakima viticulture luminaries, Boushey and Red Willow—is aged on the lees for seven months in 15 percent concrete egg, 10 percent new and 75 percent neutral French oak barrels. Dramatic aromatics of luscious lemon curd, oyster shell, savory herbs and grapefruit gracefully shift onto the palate with mineral and citrus that stream into a creamy yet acid vibrant finish. | $28
Chainline Brewing Recumbent Red | Proud self-proclaimed technical beer geeks, the team behind this Kirkland, Washington, brewery positioned themselves in a thirsty residential neighborhood, conveniently next to the Google campus and alongside the Cross Kirkland Corridor Trail, a popular bike track. As cycling enthusiasts themselves, the taphouse is kitted out in two-wheeled décor and so are the beers. The Recumbent Red is a personal favorite of the brewery, wafting scents of toasted wheat bread, sweet roasted malts and rye with a inkling of bitterness. Same goes for the flavors, with a slightly hopped up, creamy malt mouthfeel. | $6/pint
Wards Hard Cider Festive Apple Cider | Five generations of apple growing predates Wards Hard Apple Cider, now a prominent grower of European cider fruit in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Based on the recipe from “great Granddad Ward,” a second generation Englishmen who immigrated from California to the Okanagan as an adult, Wards’ ciders are based on the “dry, not too sweet” model. This off-dry, cider apple base is the foundation for this sipper that is blended with Montmorency cherries. Don’t let the familiar winter holiday wording dissuade you, this “festive” tipple is summer in a glass with neon, tart cherry juice flushes through the acid and delicate skin tannin of the refreshing apple. | $11/6-pack
Buckin’ Bean Coffee Roaster Rancher’s Roast | The only roaster in northeastern Oregon’s Umatilla County, Buckin’ Bean was launched in 2012 by two Oregon natives for the love of coffee. The roastery produces a variety of blends to pair with the house-made baked goods from its humble kitchen, including the Rancher’s Roast, a French roasted mix of Central American and Indonesian coffees. Dark and roasty, the blend serves as a smooth and slightly smoky wake-up call for slower mornings. | $12.99
