With 41 different classified types of whiskey made in the United States, Scratch Distillery’s Kim and Bryan Karrick simply wanted to make a whiskey that stood out.
“I decided the way to do that was a blend of grains, I didn’t want to develop just another bourbon or single-malt whiskey,” says Kim, distiller and co-owner of the Edmonds, Washington, distillery. “Continuing to support local, organic, non-GMO farmers, I knew that we could not compete on price with the big companies, so I wanted to branch out.”
The commitment to local, complexity and affordability led to Scratch’s development of a multigrain mash bill for its inaugural whiskey. Built on spelt, millet, wheat and malted barley, the result classifies as a “straight whiskey,” in which there cannot be more than 51% of any one type of grain and it must be stored in new oak containers for two or more years. The whiskey is also a single-barrel release, meaning each bottling comes from an individual barrel instead of from blending together the contents of various barrels.
On top of that, the mash bill is made up exclusively by grains grown in the nearby Skagit Valley — a testament to Scratch’s loyalty to local. And also, the impetus for the whiskey’s name: Edmonds’ Own.
“The whiskey is made and distilled at our distillery in Edmonds, where there is a huge support of local, so we wanted to call out to the pride in our community,” Kim says. “Whereas other distilleries might have to age elsewhere in order to get more extraction out of the barrels due to temperature and humidity fluctuations during the aging, we are at sea level in Edmonds. Just meters off the Puget Sound, we have fluctuations in temperature and humidity of our own micro-climate. We call that out as the ‘terroir’ of Edmonds.”
Grab your bottle of Edmonds’ Own — available in the socially distanced, downtown Edmonds tasting room or sold online for pick-up or via ship — and try this complex, straight whiskey in three cocktails from behind the bar at Scratch.
The Manhattan
A classic, the richness and layers of Edmonds’ Own plays well with the full-bodied flavors and viscosity of Carpano Antica’s sweet vermouth.
Makes 1 cocktail
2 ounces Scratch Edmonds’ Own Whiskey
1 ounce Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes angostura bitters
Garnish: 1 maraschino cherry
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir. Strain into a coupe or cocktail glass and garnish.
Tranquility
“Elegant, rich yet refreshing, this is a wonderful sipper anytime of the night,” Kim says. “It always just relaxes me — hence ‘Tranquility.’”
Makes 1 cocktail
2 ounces Scratch Edmonds’ Own Whiskey
½ ounce blackberry-sage simple syrup*
Garnish: 1 blackberry
Stir whiskey and simple syrup in a lowball glass for 10 seconds then add 1-3 ice cubes and garnish. *To make the blackberry-sage simple syrup, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a saucepan over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, add ½ cup blackberries and 12 sage leaves, steeping for 30 minutes. Strain and cool before using.
The Waiting Room
This after-dinner sipper features fresh-pressed coffee from Walnut Street, a likeminded, locally focused coffee shop downtown Edmonds.
Makes 1 cocktail
1 ounce Scratch WAcino Liqueur
1 ounce Scratch Barrel-Finished Orange Liqueur (substitute Cointreau)
1 ounce Scratch Edmonds’ Own Whiskey
1 ounce fresh-pressed coffee
Garnish: orange peel
Combine all ingredients in a rocks glass and swirl with a barspoon, then add a large-format ice cube and garnish.
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