Thanks, TIME, for Ignoring the Northwest

While we've been writing about the craft distilling movement for two years or so (and those of us in Oregon have been living it for, oh, about 20 years) TIME magazine finally took note of the trend with a story entitled "Local Spirits" in its January 14, 2008 issue.

Good for them for noticing.

Of course, their story had a nearly total east coast bias, completely ignoring the burgeoning craft distilling scene in the Northwest . . . where there is a critical mass of artisan producers that far outweighs the states TIME called out in their story.

Oh, but wait . . . that's not strictly true. There is a Northwest angle to their story--but the writer and her editors didn't know it. One of the four "Haute Hooch" products that they highlighted was actually distilled in the Northwest: Idaho, to be exact, even though the brand owner (and therefore the location listed on the label) is in California. Square One Vodka is actually contract distilled by Distilled Resources, Inc., with offices in Ketchum and a production plant in Rigby, Idaho. The so-called "California" vodka is really a Northwest product.

The Northwest has long been a center of craft distilling. Portland's Clear Creek Distillery was one of the earliest in the nation, and still one of the best and most widely-known of the hands-on distillers. But, they weren't mentioned. Nor were the over 20 other distillers in the Northwest.

Even California, a vital home of craft distilling, was given only a glancing nod. No reference to Anchor Distilling, Hanger One, or Germain-Robin, all clear leaders on the national scene.

Oh well. Big national magazines can hardly be expected to get far-away regional stories right!

Comments

[Kent Fleischmann]

Even the newest kid on the Northwest block Dry Fly Distilling often gets forgotten about. Yes Washington is in the Northwest...