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Let's Eat: Try local, lady-made liquor

BY Jamie Skorheim  on July 20, 2012 @ 10:04 am (Updated: 4:23 pm - 10/4/12 )

car camping
You can't get more Northwest than having pine trees in your liquor. (Image courtesy BroVo Facebook)

What's more Northwestern than liquor made with pine trees? Two ladies are experimenting with things that grow in the Northwest to craft their new line of botanical "lady-made liquor."

"Close to 70 percent of our product comes from Washington state," BroVo spirits founder Mhairi Voelsgen tells 97.3 KIRO FM's Let's Eat.

BroVo Spirits currently offer five botanical flavored liqueurs including Douglas Fir, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Rose Geranium, and Ginger.

Voelsgen says she and co-founder Erin Brophy didn't want to do the same old fruit flavors that are produced by other makers.

"We just made a really long list of different stuff that seemed unique and local that spanned everything from florals to spice," Voelsgen says, "We took that list of 50 down to about a dozen, then we started researching what was available, what we felt we could get consistently and felt comfortable with, and then we took that down to seven and we cut the last two about a month before production and went with five."

The spirits have only been available for a few months, but can already be found on notable menus and cocktail lists around the Puget Sound.

"Local chefs seem to love us," says Voelsgen. "We've had a lot of luck with places like Ray's Boathouse, Elliott's, Ivar's really using us in their product line both on the food side and in cocktails."

"I had some great cupcakes made with their Lavender liqueur," says Let's Eat co-host and Seattle Times restaurant critic Providence Cicero. "They were delicious."

The products can also be purchased at several local retailers including Costco, Metropolitan Market, Wine World, QFC, Total Wine and Town and Country Markets.

If you pick one up, Cicero says, "They make great summer sippers just on the rocks."

For those interested in playing mixologist, there are also drink recipe tips in a booklet BroVo produced called "Sixty Days of Summer." The drink recipes in the book pair recipes with fun summer events in the region.

"We tied a whole bunch of tourism activities in the area, everything from SeaFair to exhibits like the King Tut exhibit to a cocktail, so you have a cocktail a day," says Voelsgen. "We have 60 local restaurants and bars that are participating in it, more than 80 recipes in there."

As for what flavors are coming next, Voelsgen says to look out for a limited edition run of Amaro Rhubarb liqueur.

"It's aging in dry fly whiskey barrels now," says Voelsgen.

Let's Eat can be heard on 97.3 KIRO FM on Saturday at 4 p.m., Sunday at noon, and anytime ON DEMAND at MyNorthwest.com.

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor

Jamie Skorheim, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Whether it's floating on Green Lake, eating shrimp tacos at Agua Verde, or taking weekend drives out to the Cascades, she loves to enjoy the Pacific Northwest lifestyle as much as humanly possible.


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Comments (8)


  • Add A Comment

  • Country_Dog wrote...
    Yucky
    July 22, 2012 6:59 am
    The beautiful people in Belltown will try this because it is trendy and helps them "get in touch with nature" or show "solidarity with harbor seals," but this is a really bad idea as anybody who has been out ATV'ing and gets batted by tree branches knows.
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  • fartforce1 wrote...
    Idono
    July 22, 2012 10:31 am
    If trendy belltown people get in touch with pine alcoholism and then conserve the nature you like to ATV in, then it could be a really good idea
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Newton wrote...
    Allergy. Could be an Anaphylactic shock.
    July 22, 2012 7:03 am
    Allergic reaction from those allergic to trees and Pine Nuts Pine Alcohol. Just like Those with Peanut Allergies this could harm People by an Allergic reaction. Not Safe until proven safe. Or a Warning Lable If you are a Allergic to nuts don't drink this. Dangerous.
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  • fartforce1 wrote...
    douh - slaps head, kicks cat!
    July 22, 2012 10:34 am
    Everything on earth causes an allergy to someone, so should we put labels on EVERYTHING? I dont think a product labeled, PINE needs a warning label telling the buyer that it contains PINE. Think about it.
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  • Dmaxx wrote...
    It's Fir
    July 22, 2012 7:24 am
    Not Pine - Huge difference. How do you have a picture of Douglas Fir Vodka and a caption about pine liquors ????
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Jraftery wrote...
    fir vs. pine
    July 22, 2012 8:21 am
    Dmaxx, Actually, all conifers in the family Pinaceae are technically pines. And Douglas-fir isn't even a real fir tree - it's a false hemlock, also called Oregon pine.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Experimenting with thing that grow in the Northwest
    July 22, 2012 9:07 am
    Whats next moldy wine and a mildew apertiff?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fartforce1 wrote...
    Sounds like a potentially tasty twist on vermouth, like to try it with some cascade gin.
    July 22, 2012 10:18 am
    I love people who do this sort of thing, nits how great things happen.
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