Potent Potables

No we are not talking Celebrity Jeopardy here, we are referring to the first legal spirits distillery in Minnesota since prohibition. It was announced this week that 11 Wells Spirits is setting up shop in Saint Paul. Located at the Old Hamm's brewery complex, they hope to begin distilling spirits this coming January. It seems a very fitting location for a distillery. Named after the 11 wells on site, 11 Wells Spirits will be utilizing the water from its namesake well number 11.

Saint Paul is a very logical location for a craft distillery. With the current popularity of classic and craft cocktails, high end and craft spirits are gaining popularity, and Minnesota has all the right ingredients needed for making spirits. Minnesota has pure water, plentiful grains, and is home to two cooperages to supply the barrels needed to age the spirits.

At this time, the distillery plans to produce Gin, Rum, Bourbon, Rye, Malt Whiskey, and a corn based liquor called Minnesota 13. Minnesota 13 is named after a strain of corn developed by the University of Minnesota to thrive in the short Minnesota growing season. This unique corn liquor gained acclaim during prohibition as a premium quality moonshine.

We look forward to tasting some of the distillate in the coming year. We will keep our fellow hedonists updated as we hear of news regarding 11 Wells Spirits.

Photo Courtesy 11 Wells Spirits

Spirit of the Time

The Zeitgeist Arts Cafe is the kind of place that would make any bourbon lover feel right at home. We happened through on a Monday afternoon when it is oh so conveniently half off whisky pours. On the Great Bourbon website, Zeitgeist is the only listing for Great Bourbon Bars in America in Minnesota. Although there are other great bourbon places in the state, we agree 100% that this is the place to go for Bourbon and Rye when you are in Duluth. They have a selection that would appeal to even the most seasoned whisky drinker.


The Hedonists indulged in tasting three Rye whiskies – High West Mountain Rye 21 yr, Sazerac 18 yr, and Thomas H Handy Barrel Proof. The Sazerac was very assertive with a tangy, bakery aroma. Definitely some sweet notes, very warming and finishes with a spice that lingers on the tongue. The High West 21 and the Thomas H Handy came out on top in our opinion. We enjoyed the Thomas H Handy which we thought had a slightly floral and toasty bread aroma that started with a sweet beginning and blended to a spice and heat at the end of a sip. The High West 21 did not have as strong a warming effect when on the tongue as the others, but it certainly had that same sweet caramel start with a slightly malty middle and pleasantly spicy finish.

After treating ourselves to liquid goodness we indulged in the fresh pretzels and cheese plate. The pretzels here put all other pub pretzels to shame. Fresh out of the oven, three pretzel sticks about the size of an artisan baguette; a crispy outside sprinkled in coarse salt, and a warm chewy center perfect for tearing open for dipping. There were three dipping sauces, but to be honest we enjoyed the stone ground mustard and the jalapeno sauces so much we neglected to note what the third one was. The cheese plate had three local choices, plus a fig spread, olives and super crispy crostini bites to help shuttle the tastiness in salivating mouths.

Here are a few pictures to pique your interest (sorry, no food pics. we were too busy eating to stop and grab the camera)

Our beautiful sampling of rye

1. High West Mountain Rye 21yr, UT

2. Sazerac 18yr, KY

3. Thomas H Handy Barrel Proof, KY

The view of the bar

<--------  A variety of spirits and wine

Rye & Scotch  --------->

<-------- Whisky!!!

The Aviation (look familiar?)

Bombay Dry, Luxardo Maraschino, lemon juice, simple syrup, Crème de Violette

The Aristotle O ------>
Leblon Cachaca, Aperol, lemon juice, agave nectar, Peach bitters, pasteurized egg white

<-------- A Whisky Sour made with egg white, yum!

  Four Roses, lemon juice, simple syrup, pasteurized egg white

Pisco Sour  ------->

Don César Pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, pasteurized egg white

We hope you make a point of stopping by the Zeitgeist Arts Cafe next time you are in Duluth. We will definitely be making this a mandatory stop any time we are in town.

Cheers!

Getting Social

Eat Street Social 

We started the evening off with The Iroquois.This lovely little cocktail is Buffalo Trace Bourbon, lemon, demerara, Creme de Flora, and birch

Those of you who know the Hedonists, know that we have a weakness for anything that involves bourbon. We've had the pleasure of sipping this cocktail quite awhile back and we're delighted to find the recipe gracing the pages of the seasonal menu once again. This is a tart, yet creamy cocktail that compliments the flavor of Buffalo Trace allowing the bourbon's character to still play on the palate. For folks who feel intimidated by the assertive reputation of bourbon, this is a nice way to ease yourself into the world of those beautiful brown spirits.

Our tummies were demanding something more substantial to quell our hunger so we ordered the perennial favorite, the Eat Street Burger - a half pound beef burger, smoked Gouda, onion marmalade, preserved tomato, and generous portion of fries.
This is definitely one of the best burgers the Hedonists have sunk their teeth in. We prefer our burgers medium to medium well and this was just right. The burger was juicy and not greasy with a thick slice of smoked Gouda, and greens so fresh and crispy... The onion marmalade was an excellent compliment of sweetness to top it off - no need for ketchup or other condiments on this burger! And the fries! Oh the fries! Salty, crispy goodness that makes you smile involuntarily..... swirl those in a little ketchup and you have a side worthy of the burger by which they sit.

After such a satisfying meal, we sought a closing act to our visit at ESS. The soda fountain was where we found it. Lynden's Cherry-Lime Rickey, made with Bittercube Tart Cherry Syrup and lime.

This soda was a refreshing blend of tart and sweet - reminding us of Spring as we longingly gaze out the window at the accumulating snow. What more is there to say about tasty cherry flavors? Seconds please! Sipping on the soda makes the Hedonists hope that Bittercube will make some of their house made syrups available for purchase to the general public soon. The Hedonistic Bar would love to experiment with its fresh, bright, cheery flavor. *hint, hint*

Get your Derby on!

This Saturday is the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. This is an exciting time for us because there is so much to enjoy - off track betting, parties, fancy hats and of course bourbon! Horse racing is called the "Sport of King's" and we at the Hedonistic Bar may not be aristocrats, but we can certainly drink like we are. We've looked around and dusted off a recipe for a simple Mint Julep.

20 fresh mint leaves
1/4 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. Old Heaven Hill Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Place mint leaves and simple syrup in a julep cup or medium glass. Muddle mint and simple syrup until fragrant. Fill cup half way with crushed ice. Pour bourbon over top and fill cup to the top with more crushed ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a straw cut so that your nose is just above the mint sprig.

Now isn't that pretty? A cup frosted on the sides from the ice and a sprig of mint on top.....mmmm.....tasty........

And while we are talking about Mint Juleps, we need to mention Kentucky Derby inspired nums from the folks at Maker's Mark. We attended a Maker's Mark event a week ago for Maker's Mark Ambassadors. The reps brought up a great idea to use mint chocolate ice cream doused in bourbon as an alternative to the traditional Mint Julep - and we liked it! True, there is nothing that compares to a well crafted Mint Julep but what do you do when you can't get fresh mint or your crushed ice is more like chunky shards because all you did was smash a bag of ice with a hammer? You improvise! This is a quick and easy way to get that cold, minty taste mixed with your bourbon. "Yeah, but there's chocolate chips" you say. And we say - everything's better with a little chocolate *wink*

Cheers!

Look what we found behind the bar

Just in time for the Kentucky Derby, we found a bottle of Maker's Mark Mint Julep.  This product was a limited edition offering from Maker's Mark several years ago, and we were fortunate enough to get our hands on a number of bottles. Other than making an authentic julep from scratch, this is the best tasting mint julep that we have tasted.