We have some pretty tasty neighbors at our downtown Seattle restaurant, not least among them the incredible Copperworks Distilling. The craft distillery makes spirits from premium malted barley, primarily grown in Washington state, in traditional Scottish copper stills which were hand-built by expert coppersmiths in the highlands of Scotland. And, they also do all of this just around the corner from Heartwood Provisions.

Which led us to thinking, wouldn’t it be great to collaborate? In a boozy kind of way, of course. Going local with spirits is exactly our style and what we did earlier this year when we asked Copperworks to allow Heartwood to take their proprietary gin and age it in a previously filled, Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel.

When Beverage Director Amanda Reed first started conceptualizing the idea for the gin, she was looking for one that would play well in cocktails as well as cocktail pairings—Heartwood’s specialty, after all. She was hoping the barrel would provide the perfect balance of rich sweetness and spice, the kind of depth of character she thought would best fit a range of custom cocktails.

As a whole, Heartwood’s Barrel Aged Gin is full of spice and savoriness with a hint of smoke. Juniper and botanicals shine through in the mid-palate, and the spirit finishes with a luxe roundness and cardamom and black pepper spice.

“Although gin is not typically a sipping spirit, the delicate nuances and roundness of texture make this gin great for sipping” says Reed. “Plus, the floral and spice notes make it a great base for cocktails. I’m happy with how it turned out, I think its applications will be endless”

Just now emerging from its nearly seven-month aging process, the gin is taking center stage in the Heartwood bar program. Come try our new house drink, the Copper Apple Cocktail, or just keep it simple and sip or add tonic served with a lime.