Oregon distillery creates first organic vodka
Sunday | 01 June 2008 CategoriesIn the news
Portland Tribune
By Anne Marie DiStefano
And while we're at it, let's make some gin
Oregon’s micro-distilling industry continues to pick up steam with the release of Organic Nation Vodka, the state’s first organic spirit.
Diane Paulson, president and chief bottle washer at Cascade Peak, has big plans for the small company. Just a few days ago, she says over the phone from Ashland, they perfected a recipe for gin, which includes 13 different organic botanicals. And they already have whiskey aging in barrels, which will be ready to drink next fall or winter.
Paulson was in real estate before she began devoting herself to the distillery, and before that she was a social worker. Her experience dealing with reams of paperwork served her well, she says, in getting the still legally up and running. Dealing with the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau can be extremely time-consuming, but Cascade Peak get their license in under two months. The company’s still is named Lil Guenther after the agent who made the process go smoothly.
A tasting of Portland-made Medoyeff Vodka in a Eugene liquor store was the spark that set Paulson on the track to running her own distillery. “I never grew up wanting to be a distiller,” she says, “we just kind of stepped on this little conveyor belt somehow.”
She notes that Oregon has become a leader in the microdistillery movement, with small artisan distillers following in the footsteps of the microbrewers.
Being a business women is a comfortable fit for her, she says, because her grandmother and great-grandmother were both entrepreneurs. She has a business partner in husband David Eliasen, but he’s retaining his full time job working for the city of Ashland. It was natural for him to get involved in the nitty-gritty of distilling, Paulson says, because his background is in maintaining public water quality.
Cascade Peak is certified organic by Oregon Tilth. Being organic, Paulson says, was always part of the plan. “It’s just a way of life for us,” she explains, “we’re not trying to make it into a health food.”
Being organic does create a niche in the marketplace as well. There are other small organic distilleries around the country, and even beer giant Anheuser-Busch has released an organic vodka called Purus.
For Oregon, Paulson says, “It’s surprising that we are the first.”
annemariedistefano@portlandtribune.com
By Anne Marie DiStefano
And while we're at it, let's make some ginOregon’s micro-distilling industry continues to pick up steam with the release of Organic Nation Vodka, the state’s first organic spirit.
Diane Paulson, president and chief bottle washer at Cascade Peak, has big plans for the small company. Just a few days ago, she says over the phone from Ashland, they perfected a recipe for gin, which includes 13 different organic botanicals. And they already have whiskey aging in barrels, which will be ready to drink next fall or winter.
Paulson was in real estate before she began devoting herself to the distillery, and before that she was a social worker. Her experience dealing with reams of paperwork served her well, she says, in getting the still legally up and running. Dealing with the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau can be extremely time-consuming, but Cascade Peak get their license in under two months. The company’s still is named Lil Guenther after the agent who made the process go smoothly.
A tasting of Portland-made Medoyeff Vodka in a Eugene liquor store was the spark that set Paulson on the track to running her own distillery. “I never grew up wanting to be a distiller,” she says, “we just kind of stepped on this little conveyor belt somehow.”
She notes that Oregon has become a leader in the microdistillery movement, with small artisan distillers following in the footsteps of the microbrewers.
Being a business women is a comfortable fit for her, she says, because her grandmother and great-grandmother were both entrepreneurs. She has a business partner in husband David Eliasen, but he’s retaining his full time job working for the city of Ashland. It was natural for him to get involved in the nitty-gritty of distilling, Paulson says, because his background is in maintaining public water quality.
Cascade Peak is certified organic by Oregon Tilth. Being organic, Paulson says, was always part of the plan. “It’s just a way of life for us,” she explains, “we’re not trying to make it into a health food.”
Being organic does create a niche in the marketplace as well. There are other small organic distilleries around the country, and even beer giant Anheuser-Busch has released an organic vodka called Purus.
For Oregon, Paulson says, “It’s surprising that we are the first.”
annemariedistefano@portlandtribune.com