In Good Spirits

Lewiston happens to be the longtime home of White Rock Distilleries, one of the country’s leading manufacturers and importers of spirits, but with dozens of microbreweries and small wineries scattered across Maine, it was only a matter of time before boutique distilleries entered the scene. The spirit — if not the illegality — of bootlegging survives in Maine. Here are a few of our favorite craft spirits.

Cranberry Gin
Sweetgrass Farm Winery and Distillery, Union
207-785-3024,
www.sweetgrasswinery.com
Head distiller Keith Bodine crushes Maine cranberries into a gin made with an exclusive botanical blend, infusing it with tart, fruity notes and a gorgeous crimson color.

Three Crow Rum
Sweetgrass Farm Winery
and Distillery, Union
207-785-3024,
www.sweetgrasswinery.com
Three Crow Rum owes its hints of caramel, oak, and smoke to the old bourbon barrels in which it is aged. This rum is warm, smooth, and suitable for sipping neat.

Twenty 2 Vodka
Northern Maine
Distilling Company, Houlton
www.twenty2vodka.com
This vodka is making a splash for what it doesn’t have: odor, taste, color, and flavor. Its perfect neutrality has earned top awards in three international competitions.

Cold River Gin
Maine Distilleries, Freeport
207-865-4828,
www.mainedistilleries.com
Made to be savored neat, Cold River Gin is derived from potatoes grown in Fryeburg. The nose, crisp and bright with juniper and citrus, gives way to a smooth, savory finish.

Apple Brandy
Spirits of Maine Distillery, Bartlett Maine Estate Winery, Gouldsboro
207-546-2408,
www.bartlettwinery.com
The flavor of apple cider, pepper, and baking spices earned this brandy, made from local fruits in a copper still named “Lola,” a third place in the 2010 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Cold River Blueberry-Flavored Vodka
Maine Distilleries, Freeport
207-865-4828,
www.mainedistilleries.com
The sweet-tart taste of wild blueberries distinguish this rare eighty-proof flavored vodka from its sugary counterparts. Its subtle flavor plays well with a variety of juices and liqueurs.

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Our New Books
	Hiking Mount Desert Island \| Long on information, but small enough to be tucked into a day pack, this pocket guide is the perfect companion for a trip to Acadia.
	Eric Hopkins \| From his earliest work with glass to the stunning aerial panoramas of Maine islands that have gained him far-reaching fame, Eric Hopkins has consistently explored boundaries—of medium, of space, of vision.
	Interventions \| Four individually bound stories presented in a lovely slipcase.
	Wild Fox \| This is Cherie Mason’s touching story of how she befriended a wild creature, knowing that his instincts would soon lead him away forever. Suffused with gentle wonder, Wild Fox speaks to the deep human longing to span the gulf between species.