September 2008
About the PhotoSteam Tractor (Manufactured by Pioneer Co.) powering two belt-driven threshers, circa 1912. Fred Hoopes Lindsay's farm near Rock Lake, Towner County, North Dakota.
Splendid machines like these revolutionized agriculture in the 19th Century, doing the work of dozens of men, much faster, too. Combines came next.
It's what happened to distillation, at about the same time: column stills supplanting those time-consuming pot stills & craft methods.
Photo courtesy of Martin Lindsay, Thrive Arts, San Diego, CA. Fred Lindsay was Martin's grandfather. The photo was featured on the cover of this month's Caddell & Williams mail-order catalog. Ansley Coale, who founded Craft Distillers, writes a newsletter for us every month. To receive our future newsletters/catalog via email or US mail, send us an email.
Splendid machines like these revolutionized agriculture in the 19th Century, doing the work of dozens of men, much faster, too. Combines came next.
It's what happened to distillation, at about the same time: column stills supplanting those time-consuming pot stills & craft methods.
Photo courtesy of Martin Lindsay, Thrive Arts, San Diego, CA. Fred Lindsay was Martin's grandfather. The photo was featured on the cover of this month's Caddell & Williams mail-order catalog. Ansley Coale, who founded Craft Distillers, writes a newsletter for us every month. To receive our future newsletters/catalog via email or US mail, send us an email.
Newsletter
September, 2008
Dear friend of fine spirits,
Germain-Robin makes a grappa about once every two years. It’s a spirit very carefully hand-distilled on our old cognac still, not just from pomace but from the entire grape, adding noticeable freshness. Our grappas are certainly intense, but never harsh: focused varietal flavor. I was once at a trade show in NY next to the famed Italian producer Nonino, and watched a lot of restaurateurs prefer our Muscat grappa to his.
We don’t make grappa when the grapes aren’t to our liking. One of our best was from old-vine Viognier, but the last time the wine was perfect was like 8 years ago. In 2007, trying to make a Zin, we got good wine but not enough of it, so we added some great Syrah. The result is so fabulous we wonder why we never thought of it before.
Our Zin grappas are always notable for their crisp structure. The last time we made Syrah it made grappa of the year in FOOD & WINE Mag: rich, deep, huge. The Syrah/Zin blend has all of this: wonderful clean fruit, great definition, big Syrah presence. It's great grappa. Germain-Robin grappa of Syrah/Zinfandel 375ML /43% abv/$55.
Worth trying: the latest Aqua Perfecta pear liqueur. It’s from western slope Colorado Bartletts: small fruit = intense flavor. It’s just sweet enough, undiminished lush crispness, extraordinary flavor. Aqua Perfecta pear liqueur, 375ML/20%abv/$20.
- Ansley Coale/Craft Distillers
Germain-Robin makes a grappa about once every two years. It’s a spirit very carefully hand-distilled on our old cognac still, not just from pomace but from the entire grape, adding noticeable freshness. Our grappas are certainly intense, but never harsh: focused varietal flavor. I was once at a trade show in NY next to the famed Italian producer Nonino, and watched a lot of restaurateurs prefer our Muscat grappa to his.
We don’t make grappa when the grapes aren’t to our liking. One of our best was from old-vine Viognier, but the last time the wine was perfect was like 8 years ago. In 2007, trying to make a Zin, we got good wine but not enough of it, so we added some great Syrah. The result is so fabulous we wonder why we never thought of it before.
Our Zin grappas are always notable for their crisp structure. The last time we made Syrah it made grappa of the year in FOOD & WINE Mag: rich, deep, huge. The Syrah/Zin blend has all of this: wonderful clean fruit, great definition, big Syrah presence. It's great grappa. Germain-Robin grappa of Syrah/Zinfandel 375ML /43% abv/$55.
Worth trying: the latest Aqua Perfecta pear liqueur. It’s from western slope Colorado Bartletts: small fruit = intense flavor. It’s just sweet enough, undiminished lush crispness, extraordinary flavor. Aqua Perfecta pear liqueur, 375ML/20%abv/$20.
- Ansley Coale/Craft Distillers