Berkshire Mountain Distillers – True American Spirits

These days there seems to be a new craft brewery or winery popping up every third week. Each of the 50 states now has at least one winery. It’s true. What was kicked off by California in the 1970’s is now a national phenomenon. However, when we think of domestic spirits (aka liquor, booze, hooch, etc.) our thoughts tend to lean towards Tennessee whiskey, moonshine, or bathtub gin of the Prohibition Era. Not anymore. Enter, Berkshire Mountain Distillers.

Established in 2007 in Great Barrington, MA, Berkshire Mountain Distillers’ spirits are hand crafted in small batches at the Berkshire’s first legal distillery since Prohibition. They are located on an historic farm which at one time provided spring water that was bottled and shipped to New York City. Known for its curative properties, 3,000 bottles of the water made their way by rail car to the Big Apple in 1901.

“Our goal is to utilize as much local raw material as practicable in the production of our spirits, and to support our local farming community to the best of our abilities. We use our historic spring water in the production of our Ice Glen Vodka, Greylock Gin, and Ragged Mountain Rum, now available at fine restaurants, bars, and regional liquor stores,” says Chris Weld, the founder of Berkshire Mountain Distillers. They’ve only begun to break into the New York City market selling their products at one Brooklyn location, and five Manhattan locations including Astor Wines & Sprits.

Stephanie Moreno is the sales manager and spirits buyer with Astor. In a recent conversation over a glass of the Ragged Mountain Rum and ice she had the following to say, “Astor Wines & Spirits love to support the underdog (the New Yorkers in us), and it’s even better when that translates to a quality distillate. The pot still distillation is clear from the aroma, taste, and finish. The Rum shows notes of banana, brown sugar, toffee and a bit of smoke. The Greylock Gin is lovely without overpowering the juniper aroma. I still can pick out other aromas with each inhalation: coriander, anise, cinnamon and citrus. We are fans, to say the least.” It’s true. The rum is certainly made for sipping. On top of Ms. Moreno’s observations we also noted a distinct buttery flavor. “It certainly has notes of butterscotch,” says Weld. And mixed with ginger beer, lime, and a bit of simple syrup it also makes a killer Dark N’ Stormy.

So, what’s next for Berkshire Mountain Distillers? When Chris Weld isn’t on the road promoting and selling his product, for which they have been awarded multiple gold medals, he’s hard at work on developing new spirits. “Our corn whiskey that will be coming out soon is made with local corn and will be aged over white oak and cherry that have been felled on our farm, locally milled and hand charred by us . The corn whiskey as well as our bourbon should be out late fall to early winter.” If ever there was a reason to look forward to winter, this is it.

Additional retail locations, cocktail recipes, and more can be found at their website www.berkshiremountaindistillers.com.