cool links

Check 'em!

http://www.distilleryage.com/MDA_9_17_10_cover.pdf

http://distilleryrowpdx.com

www.blogger.com/www.pdxfoodpress.com/.../wildwood-unveils-new-spirit-series-and-bar

https://twitter.com/integritweets

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Integrity-Spirits/104292826268721?ref=ts

cool links

I need a new camera

I realize that I'm a loser. I haven't posted in over a year.

I wish I could say that it was because we were trucking along just great and I was so busy and had more money than I knew what to do with. Not exactly.

It has been the classic struggle of the "Dream". At times it is brilliant, like flying but more often, like taking mortar fire in the trenches.

Under capitalization, personality conflicts, too much strife, work, ego, legal wrangling, did I mention under capitalization?

Either way, Kieran left and has come back. Jeff Howard is sorely missed. Doug is missed. I don't even think he wants to be my friend anymore.

The rope is frayed, but we are still here. Crap, we shipped 105 cases last week and most are gone. We have incorporated "Distillery Row", in inner SE Portland; six independent distilleries working together to build an appellation beyond our small borders. We beat out the mainstream brands for exclusive bar placement at The art event of the year (Every year for the last ten I think): PICA's Time Based Art. A ten day deal that brings people from all over. Everywhere.

The ADI conference will be in Portland in April (Instead of Kentucky or California as it always has been). Just think of hundreds of distillers from around the country converging on our little city.

Then, the GADF, Edgefield, and all the other stuff.

I went to Wildwood last night, a swanky foodie's heaven. A lot of people don't talk about the bar though. Enter Ryan. Mixologist. Distiller (Martin Ryan and Apia Vodkas; Better than mine). five integrity cocktails, expertly crafted and creative. He gives foodies pause.

Try them out.

We met these crazy guys from Australia who forced us to drink beer (You can't drink the hard stuff all the time). They were hard at work visiting the U.S., and I quote: "Managed to finally visit 81 breweries in 16 days…not a bad effort.". Jaimie Rodriguez from Hopworks was our intrepid host and all around bad influence. (Brewers...). In all, look for their stuff coming out of Melbourne and Tasmania. I hear that the water there is great. I wouldn't mind an excuse to visit them.

Rich

Captain Phil in PDX

Ryan and I Met captain Phil last week or so. He's A tough guy and knows how to ride a bike as well as being crazy enough to run a crab boat out of Dutch Harbor to the Bering sea. I have been scared enough of 28 foot tides in Juneau when I lived there, but King Crab is good, I don't care who you are. We should all be impressed with those who go down to the sea in ships and do business in great waters. We gave him a bottle of 12 Bridges as a souvenir. I hope it helps.

http://www.corneliamarie.com/

Rich

Captain Phil got his sea legs while working on fishing boats beginning at the tender age of seven. Ten years later he started crabbing on the F/V American Eagle. When Phil turned 21, he ran a boat, the F/V Golden Viking, out of Seattle making him one of the youngest to captains in the Bering Sea. Phil went on to work on another boat shortly after, but some of his friends stayed on the F/V Golden Viking. It capsized and sank in 1983 near St. Matthew Island, Alaska. Phil lost some very close friends that day and still finds the disaster difficult to talk about.

In 1990 Phil bought into the F/V Cornelia Marie with its namesake, Cornelia Marie and her husband. Cornelia’’s husband sold his share of the boat, but Phil stayed on as captain, and Cornelia attended to the business. The boat is unique – in that is the last one operating of only three crabbing boats designed by Elmo Horton of Horton Boats, Inc. out of Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Horton normally built tug and other working boats.

"Distiller's meeting"

We have a plan! I mean it! How about a walking map to all our places, an ongoing promotion with the Jupiter hotel and owning the name "Distillery Row"? The only problem was that we had our meeting at the opening of the long anticipated Beaker & Flask in our 'Hood. too much drink, not enough business...

We had all the guys from House Spirits, Artisan, Highball, New Deal, Ryan and myself.

Tim Davey didn't have to give me that beer in his Patriot's mug. His Wife, Katherine, said he stole them from their home.

chicago flikr

See more photos here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35872587@N04/?saved=1

Chi-town!

We had to go to Chicago to visit our distributors, Bon Vivant. The Key men ended up being Ian and Steve, mainly because of the tutorial they gave me and Ryan about how one should drive in the city. Horn "Chirps", are to give direction. Full handed honks are to correct people in their errant ways, and two handed honks are wrought with the necessity to yell out the window, some colorful expletive in the spirit of helping.

These guys were amazing! They worked us and we knew that we had to bone up on our drinking prowess to keep up. In all, it was a fantastic time with the salt of the earth. I doubt we'll ever repay them for their hospitality and friendship.

Messin' with Artisan Spirits

We spent a long night drinking beer and making booze with our neighbors, Artisan Spirits. They wanted to see if our fancy German still was better than what they were doing. In the end, we figured that it might be faster but it might be okay for them to use what they were. if it aint broke...

huh? I wanted picts...

from Medford.

The Medford Champs

We need to keep these guys around. Ryan brought this energetic brother/sister duo into the team to help us in southern Oregon. They rocked the house and are people you would crave to hang out with daily. Their spirit is infectious and drive, enviable. I blame Ryan for not getting these pictures to me sooner but he has enough to worry about keeping Jennifer happy, drinking enough to keep up with me and running his other business, Total Quality Services. Call him for HVAC problems or e-mail me....

flikr photos

I got these pictures from George Burns, Oprah Winfrey's personal photographer. These were the photos that he took at the party in Washington D.C.. I didn't recognize anyone but maybe you will.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35872587@N04/

Cinco Design Party

We had some fun with Cinco Design the other night at one of their parties. Check out their flickr site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cincodesign/

It's in the blood...

My sister Suzy made the trek to Reno, stomping ground for much of the Family, to honor Esther who recently passed. As much of a loss as that has been, our family is strong and close (And they cook wicked good food!). They were in need of some hooch to toast and wouldn't you know it? We always seem to have some lying around.
I really miss all the tias and tios and want some more molé.

Washington D.C.

I met these guys from the Curiosity Group a few weeks ago and they came in for a tour. Dave Strawinski called on the 15th with a crazy opportunity. He has this friend who was coordinating Oprah's party at her personal chef's restaurant Art and Soul in D.C.. They wanted some hand crafted booze to pour and I happened to have some laying around. I Fed Exed 5 cases thinking that was that when they said they would put me on the list for the party. I didn't give it a second thought. I couldn't afford to go. and then there was the issue about what to wear to a thing like that...

Enter Ryan, our intrepid shareholder and construction dude. He got plane tickets and a room, paying dearly for it under the condition that he go with me. I tried to buy a suit, but my card was declined (Obviously), and mom came to the rescue... again.

I went to the party dressed in a Versace jacket and Hugo Boss pants learning only after the fact that those are cool designers.
My hat is off to Vickie Bordeeaux at Nordstrom. She defines customer service and I would advise that anyone seek her out.

At least I met some great people like Art Smith, Andre Agassi and two Marines that made the whole night. Too bad I couldn't have coffee the next morning with those two gorgeous women: Everything is too far by cab over there!

Either way, you still have to teach the elites how to pour absinthe...

Draaaama!

Sorry for the lack of pictures. My camera broke and the phone cam isn't so great. We're in the midst of a lot of drama with our neighbors. Suffice it to say that we don't like the potential outcome with the Green Dragon and feel that it could hurt us as well, but will continue to fight extinction.
Annalou Vincent does photography for herself and for many others like Beer NW magazine. She took these pictures through the windows one day and had a good laugh that I was trying to take apart a 220 circuit with a screwdriver and a spatula...
The other is of Jeff Howard being Jeff Howard: cool.
Her url: www.annalouvphotography.com

Tribute to our mascot

It's been about a month since Jackson passed and if I think about it, it makes me bawl. I know everyone thinks that their dog is the best, but they're wrong. Even though he was Kieran's dog, we all thought of him as our too. In retrospect though, I think we all were actually his. He protected and loved all of us and even though he could be a schmuck (Kicking me off the bed because he wanted more room, pulling a full sized futon through three doors and shredding it outside so it looked like it had snowed in the back yard or insisting that the right two-thirds of my couch was his and therefore nobody could ever sit there). There never will be a replacement for our truly best friend.
Rich

More events

We've been invited to Ron's property for a number of times and have just been plain busy!
We finally decided to go for Labor day weekend (I need to take some photos of the white trash '70s RV we got from Ryan-hospitality booth or something. We need to "Trick it out" with some righteous shag carpet and an eight track).
He has this property in Tillamook, Oregon on the coast which is beautiful. We plied the unsuspecting guests with a full measure of absinthe and lovejoy. Luckily no one fell into the fire pit (Kieran almost...)

Crazy event/Party season

This time of year turns whacky with all the festivals and events. My camera broke and I can't afford to replace it yet so I've been rather envious of Annalou's fancy rig (She does great work for Beer Northwest Magazine and quaffs only a little beer at the Green Dragon).
I digress.
I was only explaining that some pictures are of less quality... iPhone.
Here was a good one: BarFly's battle of the band vans

absinthe!

I know. It's been too long since my last post, and it isn't for a lack of activity that it has gone undone, but I thought that writing about wrangling with the feds over the Trillium did not good blog entries make...

We finally received approval, and are going full tilt to bring the love.

I hope you love it as much as LoLo.

... and the tables have arrived. Just wait until the tasting room is ready
Rich

The Still dudes arrive

Nicolas Hasse and Alex showed up to show us how to run our fancy still. It was nice to see the professionalism and skill bound up in guys that were so nice to work with. We worked hard to be ready for them getting the boiler going. It's crazy how fast this thing heats up, but 390,000 BTUs is a lot o thermal units...
The Germans were all business but great! Kieran missed the lesson in running the still because he had to get stitches after he cut his eyebrow. I guess I'll have to run it. It was nice to see Ryan do some work though...
Rich

Spending too much money at the Green Dragon

We've been chipping away at building our new still, and it seems to go better with a beer and some music. Good thing we're right next to the Green Dragon. Bob Shoemaker has been kicking around Portland for years and I'm glad he's found a home here (On Thursday nights at least).