Welcome back to Sip Northwest’s Bar Tab, our editor’s weekly selection of what to drink in the Northwest now. Straightforward and simple, these are the best drinks we tried this week. Come on in, belly up to the counter and order a digital drink on us.
Full Sail Brewing Shortest Day CDA | Raise a glass to the winter solstice past, celebrating the shorter days that are now getting increasingly longer. This Cascadian dark ale from the landmark Hood River, Oregon, brewery is bold, malty and hoppy: a definition of the fuller-bodied beer style. Three malts (including a chocolate malt that brings depth to the brooding body) meld with three hop varieties (like Citra and its tropical fruit characteristics) for aromas of roasted, toasted malts and pops of pineapple and melon. Full Sail recommends pairing with smoked salmon and drinking several bottles.
Culmina Family Estate Winery 2015 R&D White | Chardonnay makes nice with a proprietary blend of aromatic varietals (possibly some Gewürztraminer and maybe a dash of Riesling) in this enological play on words. Typically reserved for corporate terminology, the “research and development” that went into this wine includes multiple samplings and a balance of “art and science” the Oliver, BC, winery brands themselves by. The perfume conjures up visuals of a field full of spring flowers, misted with peach and sweet orange juice and drizzled with honey. Shift that over to the palate, where rich flavors and a broad texture is sliced up with vibrant acidity and a full-figured finish. Enjoy with Panang curry.
Finnriver Farm and Cidery Sidra | Spain by way of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, organic dessert apples are fermented and modeled after traditional Spanish cider, better known as sidra. By using open head space in the fermentation tanks, Finnriver allows the juice to be exposed to oxygen, generating wild vinegar bacteria that produces the style’s signature acetic aroma and flavor tang. The fermentation also goes down with oak and is backsweetened with organic can sugar, resulting in a cider that snaps with acid and sour notes but softens with flavors of familiar eating apples and floral honey. The farm cidery suggests matching the sipper with grilled oysters or a classic pairing with Manchego.
Heritage Distilling Co. Ruby Red Grapefruit Flavored Vodka | If you’re under a foot of snow right now, you might be channeling the tropics. Try that with this flavored vodka, a juicy and red citrus fruit profile built upon a proprietary wine grape distillate. The Gig Harbor, Washington, distillery is giving drinkers more and more opportunities to taste this fruit-forward, tangy and succulent tipple with tasting rooms and production facilities opening up across the PNW, from Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood to Eugene, Oregon. Pair with ice and a pineapple slice.
