Essential Spirits Collab With Switchback Brewery
Have you tried our Essential Vermont Malt Whiskey or Hopped Gin? Made in collaboration with Switchback Brewery, these two delightful spirits were born out of necessity at the beginning of the COVID pandemic & encapsulate the resilient spirit of Vermont!
Both Essential Vermont Malt Whiskey & Hopped Gin are made from Switchback Ale that was stranded in kegs across the Northeast at the beginning of 2020. When the world shut down, bars & restaurants across the world were forced to close their doors, leaving lots of delicious Switchback Ale to rot in kegs. Rather than let all that delicious beer go to waste, the owners of Split Spirits & Switchback Brewery hatched an idea: to take Switchback Ale & try to distill whiskey.
It’s not a revolutionary idea, since whiskey starts its life as beer anyway. It is, however, quite unique to have two iconic Vermont brands working together to create an entirely new product using surplus of an existing product. This unique partnership speaks to the collaborative & supportive nature of Vermont's craft food & beverage industry.
When the beer flowed into our stills, we employed the same sustainable distilling practices we always strive for using renewable natural gas to vaporize the ethanol & aromatic oils. What came off the still was about 30-35% ABV, which was then distilled again on our finishing still to collect the heads, hearts & tails cuts. The “heads” contain small amounts of alcohols like acetone & methanol that are used for cleaning. The “hearts” come off the still at 160 proof / 80% ABV & are as clear as water, but with a delicious malty flavor & essences of hops. This clear liquid is then aged in white oak barrels for about 3.5 years, giving it the beautiful amber hue & delicate notes of caramel & butterscotch that Essential Vermont Malt Whiskey is known for. The “tails” are then redistilled & turned into our Essential Vermont Hopped Gin.
Essential Vermont Malt Whiskey is a unique whiskey with a floral, citrusy aroma reminiscent of the hops used to make Switchback Ale. This aroma floats on top of notes of butterscotch, caramel & toasted marshmallow derived from over 3.5 years aging in white oak barrels. Classic whiskey flavors are first on the pallet with malty & vanilla flavors giving way to herbaceous, citrusy & floral notes on the finish. Essential Vermont Hopped Gin is a unique gin that evokes notes of fresh flowers, herbs, citrus & evergreen. The hop character from the distillation as well as the Saaz, Cascade & Mandarina hops in the maceration blend seamlessly with the juniper, angelica root, coriander & lemon peel in this gin. A crisp & bright aroma melds with warm spice & evergreen reminiscent of our home in the Green Mountains.
Learn more about our Essential Spirits collaboration with Switchback Brewery - Essential Whiskey: A Tale of Love, Loss & Redemption.