Central Oregon has a lot of quality spirits coming down the pipeline—and right now, nothing seems to be running hotter than gin. Looking outward, gin has had record-breaking sales globally.
“I think there’s a lot of great gins being produced right now,” says Shelly Hopson, operations manager at Oregon Spirit Distillers on the new trends in the spirit world. “People are branching out and experimenting and it’s really cool.” OSD has a variety of gins, including the traditional dry gin, heavy with juniper, and the Merrylegs Genever Style gin, which is more malty. OSD also produces a barrel-aged version of the Merrylegs, as well as a new Pink Gin, aged in a wine barrel and containing notes of peppercorn, orange and fennel. OSD also happens to be the chosen distillery for The Walter Collective’s gin, including its new Navy Strength gin (it’s 114 proof!). Just newly moved into Redmond last year is Gompers Distillery, with a tasting room styled as a prohibition-era speakeasy. Tasting room cocktails include The Birch (spiced pear & honey), Capitol Collins (Elderflower), Bee’s Elbow (lavender honey) and more.
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