Four years in the making, Hopworks Urban Brewery will release HUB Brewer’s Whiskey made with New Deal Distillery on Saturday, December 17th. Distilled from Hopworks Lager, fermented at the brewery un-hpped for a smoother profile and then distilled at New Deal in Portland, with only about 100 bottles being released to the public.
Highly limited in production, HUB Brewer’s Whiskey will be available primarily by the glass at Hopworks pubs, available neat, with ice, with HUB Lager or in a few special cocktails at the bar. Future batches may actually be available in liquor stores and bars, but this first limited batch will only be sold at the brewery.
“What really sets our Brewer’s Whiskey apart is the use of our beautiful, finished and filtered organic beer in the still,” said Hopworks Brewmaster and Founder, Christian Ettinger. “We get a smooth spirit that exhibits characteristics well beyond its years. Making whiskey is a natural extension of our passion for craft beer. Our Brewer’s Whiskey is a product of our playfulness and our commitment to push the limits of what we can do as fermentation experts.”
“We’re used to working in a fast-paced brewing facility. It was an exciting challenge to make a whiskey based off organic beer and give it the love, patience, and neglect it needs to age well,” said Hopworks Head Brewer, Trever Bass. “We did just that and we’re truly proud of the results.”
Hopworks’ Organic HUB Lager received a traditional double pot still distillation and was aged in a variety of American oak barrels where the brewery says ‘it picked up flavors of brown sugar, dark currant, chocolate, and leather.’ From my own tasting notes and talking with the brewers and distillers, I found that some of this complex blend was from Oregon Oak but the reason it took so long to release was the brewers found they preferred the flavors of Non-Oregon Oak with a heavy char. For this reason, future batches of HUB Brewers Whiskey will likely taste different as the team blends new and old barrels in the solera method, to achieve the final 80 proof whiskey product.
“We had a lot of fun working with Hopworks to create a single malt whiskey,” said Tom Burkleaux, New Deal Distillery owner and distiller. “Being brewers, the Hopworks team excels at working with all malt fermentations. We wanted the deeper notes of the malt to carry through. Once distilled the malt had a pleasant nutty character, which mellowed nicely in the barrel. Of course the best part was finally tasting it after several years!”
Head Brewer Trevor Bass pours HUB Whiskey while Christian Ettinger discusses it’s 4 years in the making
Of the partnership with New Deal Distillery, Christian Ettinger said, “We found a great partner in New Deal. Their decisions to use organic ingredients resonates with us, and they have been excellent in helping us bring to fruition a product that is made with the same skill and care as our beer.”
From my own tasting notes: This is a very smooth and light whiskey, easy drinking, malty and nutty with honey and very subtle vanilla. I appreciate the drinkability of this 40% abv whiskey which I easily downed a couple glasses of. The brewery still has not decided how much to charge per bottle but the talk was between $40 and $50 which does seem a little much. I would compare it to a Bullit or Makers Mark which come it around $35 for a 1/5, but then again the limited nature of this first batch of Brewers Whiskey may help it claim that upper echelon price tag.
Release Party
HUB Brewer’s Whiskey will be available at both Hopworks’ pubs beginning Saturday, December 17 at 5pm. The whiskey is served neat or in a variety of house cocktails that include a Hopworks Old Fashioned and Blackberry Sour. The Hopworks brewpub on Powell will also serve a BBQ Whiskey Burger special with beer battered in the days following the release.
Bottle Sale
750ml bottles of HUB Brewer’s Whiskey will be available during a special bottle sale on December 17th, from 11am – 3pm at the Hopworks brewpub on Powell Blvd. New Deal Distillery will also have a variety of bottles available for purchase at the pub during the sale.
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About Hopworks Urban Brewery
Hopworks Urban Brewery strives to revolutionize and inspire the brewing industry with practices that drive quality, protect the environment and improve the community we live in. Utilizing organic malts and a combination of locally-sourced, organic and Salmon Safe hops, the company’s 20-barrel brewery produces 13,500 barrels of beer and cider a year for HUB’s brewpubs and for distribution throughout the Northwest. Hopworks is a family-owned and operated business, the first Certified B Corporation brewery in the Pacific Northwest, a gold-level bike friendly business, and is recognized as one of the Best Green Companies To Work For In Oregon. In 2016 Hopworks will open a new brewpub in Vancouver, Washington. More info at hopworksbeer.com
About New Deal Distillery
New Deal Distillery has been proudly crafting small-batch, award-winning spirits in Portland’s Southeast Industrial District since 2004. Visit their Tasting Room & Distiller’s Workshop to sample and see what they’re playing with, or take a hands-on whiskey-making class taught by owner and distiller, Tom Burkleaux. Find New Deal at local farmers markets, spirits event around town, or on the shelf of your local liquor store. More info at www.newdealdistillery.com
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