McMenamins Introduces Billy Whiskey

Monday, September 22, 2014

GoLocalPDX Contributor

Billy Whiskey

Meet Billy Whiskey. Photo Credit: Kathleen Nyberg/McMenamins

Hey all you whiskered old whiskeys, there’s a new kid on the block. Meet Billy Whiskey, the first aged spirit out of McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse.

McMenamins, the Oregon brew-pub chain, is usually associated with beer. That and fun neighborhood hangouts a la Kennedy School, Bagdad Theater etc .

But in addition to its rich brewing roots, McMenamins was also one of the early pioneers of Oregon’s craft distilling scene, starting in 1998 with the opening of its first distillery at Edgefield.

To keep up with the growing demand for locally-produced spirits, they opened a second distillery at Cornelius Pass Roadhouse in 2012, housing a beautiful Century-old Charante Alambic still from the Cognac region of France. Both distilleries are now producing some serious spirits, including rum, brandy, gin, a variety of liqueurs and scratch-made whiskey.

The newest addition to McMenamins liquor cabinet – Billy Whiskey – is distilled from a mash made primarily of wheat, and reflects the local farming history of the Imbrie family dating back to 1855. It is hand-crafted in small batches using traditional methods in the ancient Cognac still and then aged in lightly-charred barrels for two and a half years. According to the McMenamins website, Billy Whiskey's palate is "full bodied with aromas of molasses and oak. The finish is long and spicy with notes of hazelnuts and baked apples."

McMenamins spirits are only available in the pubs and restaurants and in gift shops at Edgefield, Kennedy School, Crystal Hotel, Gearhart Hotel, Roseburg Station, Hotel Oregon in McMinnville, Lighthouse Pub in Lincoln City, Old Church & Pub in Wilsonville, Old St. Francis School in Bend, Grand Lodge in Forest Grove, North Bank in Eugene and at the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse.

For more information about this and other home brews and McMenamin delights, visit http://www.mcmenamins.com/.

Home page photo credit: Dominick on Flickr. Creative Commons license.