Page 20 - Flathead Beacon // 2.10.16

T he Food Issue
Spectacular Spirits
Northwest Montana’s modern moonshiners put new twists on old favorites
OBY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
NE-HUNDRED YEARS AGO, ON A
patch of land tucked between the
Middle Fork of the Flathead River and the Lewis and Clark Range, Jose- phine Doody ran a moonshine operation the likes of which Al Capone would be proud.
In the early 1900s, Doody earned the nickname the “Bootleg Lady of Glacier Park” and she operated at least three stills in the wilderness north of Nyack. Legend has it her shine was so good it would stop Great Northern Railway trains right in their tracks. At the peak of her reign, trainmen would help Doody distribute her product along the line and in return a bottle or two would end up in the engineer’s grip for his own enjoyment after a long day on the high iron.
Legend has it, Doody was ferrying her shine across the Middle Fork well into her 80s. She only stopped when federal rev- enuers busted her stills while enforcing prohibition-era laws in February 1928.
Today’s moonshiners operate on the straight and narrow, but the folks pro- ducing whiskeys and vodkas in North- west Montana still carry on Doody’s cre- ative spirit. To honor that spirit, we asked three modern moonshiners to share their favorite drinks.
SPOTTED BEAR SPIRITS – WHITEFISH
The Snow Ghost
In the shadow of Big Mountain is Spot- ted Bear Spirits, located in the heart of downtown White sh. The valley’s new- est distillery is run by Lauren Oscilowski, who says this time of year, at the end of a long workday, she enjoys The Snow Ghost. The co ee cocktail is named for the snow-covered trees that top Big Mountain and it includes Con uence Vodka, house-made co ee liqueur, Mon- tana Co ee Traders cold brew and Kalis- pell Kreamery half and half, topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and freshly grated cinnamon.
“This drink really showcases all of the local collaborations we’ve formed with products from Montana Co ee Traders and Kalispell Kreamery,” Oscilowski says.
Spotted Bear Spirits is open daily from noon to 8 p.m. and is located at 503 Rail- way Street in White sh. For more infor- mation, visit www.spottedbearspirits. com
GLACIER DISTILLING – CORAM
The Indian Summer
Although the name conjures up images of warm days in September, Glacier Dis- tilling brand manager Molly Thorvilson
says Indian Summer is the perfect cock- tail for the cold days of winter. The simple drink is made with the distillery’s Fire- weed Whiskey, spiced cranberry syrup and ginger beer. The Fireweed Whiskey is one of the distillery’s most popular spirits and it takes ve pounds of locally grown Flathead cherries to make one bottle.
“There is a lot you can do with Fire- weed and this cocktail really showcases it well,” Thorvilson says. “Fireweed is a people pleaser and even people who don’t like whiskey love our Fireweed.”
Glacier Distilling is open on Saturday and Sunday in winter from noon until 6 p.m. and is located at 10237 Highway 2 East in Coram. For more information, visit www.glacierdistilling.com.
WHISTLING ANDY – BIGFORK
The Russell
In a tip of the hat to one of the West’s most iconic artists, C.M. Russell, Whis- tling Andy in Bigfork has o ered up its own twist on the always-satisfying Old Fashioned. The Russell, which was rst created for a fundraiser for the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, includes Whistling Andy’s Harvest Select Whis- key, Agave nectar, orange bitters and is topped with soda water.
“The Agave nectar has some really great earthy tones and it really plays well with the Harvest Select Whiskey,” says
distiller Brian Anderson.
Anderson says the Harvest Select is
the star of the cocktail, so popular it has been featured in Esquire Magazine and Wine Enthusiast.
Whistling Andy is open daily from noon until 8 p.m. and is located at 8541 Highway 35 Bigfork. For more informa- tion, visit www.whistlingandy.com.
jfranz@ atheadbeacon.com
ABOVE The Indian Summer cocktail from Glacier Distilling in Coram.
LEFT The Russell cocktail from Whistling Andy Distilling in Bigfork.
RIGHT The Snow Ghost cocktail from Spotted Bear Spirits in White sh.
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FEBRUARY 10, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM