Distilleries of the Arizona Desert
I recently spent a pleasant week in Arizona visiting my old friend, Doc. One of the amusements in which we engaged involved alcohol, as does every visit with Doc. Specifically, we went to several distillery tasting rooms. These visits were all in the Phoenix area where Doc lives.
CaskWerks Distilling Co.
Our first stop was Caskwerks Distilling Co. in Tempe. Caskwerks produces vodka, gin, tea-infused gin and an apple pie liqueur. The light and tasty apple pie liqueur can also be had in three “barrel rested” versions utilizing used bourbon barrels from Heaven Hill, Four Roses and Buffalo Trace. All three varieties are delicious, less fruity than the non-barrel rested apple pie liqueur and somewhat more complex. Interestingly enough, you can easily tell the difference between the three, with the high rye mash bill of the used Four Roses barrel leading the pack with a nice spicy edge.
Caskwerks is located in a shopping center on University Drive in Tempe, just east of Arizona State University. Upon entering, you are in the smallish tasting room, with a 4-5 seat bar and several tall tables. On the other side of some swinging doors is their production room. Caskwerks is not a distiller, so the business end of the operation looks more like a corporate mailroom than a factory. Chris, one of the Caskwerks principals, was behind the bar and went out of his way to make sure we were comfortable and patiently answered our questions during an impromptu tour. He stated that they will offer bourbon as soon as they find a suitable source.
Arizona Distilling Company
Our next stop was Arizona Distilling Company, also on University Drive in Tempe, but west of Arizona State. (Tip: try not to make the drive across the ASU campus during a class change, students are everywhere). Walking into Arizona Distilling is like entering someone’s spacious living room with couches and overstuffed chairs everywhere. A portrait of George Wiley Paul Hunt, the first and seven-term governor of Arizona - affectionately known as The Old Walrus - is prominent behind the expansive bar.
I have the impression that The Arizona Distilling Company is the big dog of the state's distillers, although the bartender coyly declined to answer the question directly. They offer a plethora of product, including the 100% corn based Mission Vodka and Commerce Gin which, according to the website, contains cardamom, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and lime zest as well as eight different botanicals sourced from northern Arizona. But I came for the bourbon and was not disappointed.
First up was Copper City Bourbon, 90 proof and very nice, distilled in Indiana but aged and bottled in Arizona. Retailing for $30 per bottle, Copper City is the sole sourced whiskey they offer. Humphreys Malt Whiskey, also 90 proof, has a mash bill consisting of 80% barley and 20% flaked rye and sells for $45 a bottle. Desert Durum Wheat whiskey, 96 proof, $45 a bottle, is Arizona’s first grain-to-bottle whiskey. Desert King is a pricier version of Desert Durum. Park Rye (95% rye!) sells for $60 per bottle and is always in limited supply. These are all pleasant, if unremarkable, whiskies. The one I really wanted to try was the Copper City Syrah Cask Finished Bourbon, but it is an extremely limited release and they had none at the time. While I sampled the whiskey, Doc downed a few Old Fashioneds and proclaimed them the best he ever had.
Lucidi Distilling Co.
After no lunch, two tasting rooms and closing in on suppertime, the prudent thing to do would be to head for home, or better yet to Doc’s favorite Mexican restaurant. But no, this is Arizona, my time is limited and I am nothing if not dedicated to researching this article. And a little drunk, which happens just about every time I go out with the good doctor. So...one more stop. Onward!
Lucidi Distilling Co. is located in a cool, repurposed brick fire station in Old Town Peoria. It’s a very attractive place; the large and bright tasting room is most inviting and the spotless distilling apparatus is in full view behind a glass wall. Lucidi offers Ventilate Vodka, Crooked Ladder Rum and Dispatch Gin, all made on premises. No bourbon, but they do offer Fire Station No. 1 Canadian Whiskey, which is at least bottled in Arizona. I had a fine gin and tonic with an orange slice and, after resting a bit to let the effects of the cocktail subside, we drove carefully back to the house.
Every tasting room we visited had one thing in common: an expansive menu of creative cocktails as well as the expected classics. This was not like visiting distillery tasting rooms in Kentucky or elsewhere in the Midwest. I got the impression that they are not used to folks coming in to sample and discuss the whiskey, even from a rookie such as myself. Distilling in the state is, at this point, fairly young and still developing, especially on the whiskey side. But there is lots of very good local vodka and gin to be had and they do some really nice things with it.
A few weeks after I returned home, a package from Doc arrived in the mail. It was a bottle of Carefree Bourbon, 90 proof, two years old, distilled in Indiana and bottled by Elysian Desert Distilleries, located on Easy Street in Carefree, Arizona. Checking out Elysian online revealed the company was just incorporated in 2017 and is “woman owned and family operated.” The management team is a mother and daughter; their husbands work for them. They have a beautiful tasting room (which I will certainly visit next time I am in Arizona) and offer a line of interesting chakra-flavored vodkas and my bourbon as well as a limited release barrel proof bourbon (116 proof).
Until next time, Cheers!
