Tag Archives: Ritual Sister

Matchbook Distilling Company: And Now for Something Somewhat Different

Posted by nofowineaux in Distillery and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

November 11, 2023

A walk around Greenport is always interesting.  We like to window shop, check out the new stores and art galleries (of which there are several), read the menus in restaurant windows, watch the ferry come in, and check out who else is wandering around.  This time, we just wanted to have a bit of a walk and enjoy a beautiful fall day (finally!) with our visitors from Connecticut, before taking them to Matchbook Distilling Company for a tour and tasting.

The unassuming entrance is easy to miss.

Although one could walk to 230 Corwin Street from the main part of town, we opted to drive and park in their parking lot.  The GPS told us we had arrived at our destination before we came to the parking area, but fortunately we had been there once before and knew to continue a little further.  Matchbook is located inside a former boat building facility, which is evident once you are on the tour by the high ceiling of the distilling area. 

One view of the distillery.

From the parking lot you walk into the tasting room, an airy space only open on Saturdays from 1-6, with a few small tables and comfy stools at the bar.  The room is decorated with bottles and bottles of their products, plus blackboards listing cocktails.  A panoramic display of their current offerings, by my count over thirty, is displayed on the bar.  We were lucky enough to be greeted by Paul, one of the owners, who enthusiastically explained what they do and carefully curated our tastings based on what we told him of our likes and dislikes. 

Paul was an excellent guide to the varied products they make and how they make them.

That was fortunate, because otherwise I don’t know how we would have chosen our three “Pick Your Sips” samples ($25).  As it was, we ended up with nine different tastes, which we shared (our group included our designated driver, who sniffed but did not sip), some of which we liked very much, and others we were not so crazy about. 

Shoveling Jerusalem artichokes into a still.

But before I get to the tasting, I should tell you about the tour, which took about fifteen minutes, and is free for the asking (I was told on the phone that I did not need a reservation.).  Through a double door you walk into an airy, sparkling clean warehouse area, with pot stills of varying sizes and all sorts of equipment.  A pair of workers were shoveling roasted Jerusalem artichokes into a still preparatory to making Late Embers, their mezcal-like liquor.  (That combined with their Elsewhere Blood Orange liqueur would make quite a margarita.)  You need to get someone with a better background in chemistry to explain it to you, but apparently Jerusalem artichokes and agave both produce inulin, which is what you need to make mezcal.  However, unlike agave, Jerusalem artichokes (which are not at all like artichokes), grow profusely and can actually be invasive.  Matchbook was in the midst of processing some 3,000 pounds they had gotten from an organic farm on the South Fork.     

They also use organic grains for their whiskeys, and try to make use of various excess materials from the farms and vineyards of the North Fork.  Paul commented that they were very fond of being on the North Fork, both for its rural peace and the availability of produce.  One example he gave was how a winery may have an off year, and end up with a wine they do not care to bottle under their own label.  However, through the magic of distilling and other processes, that so-so wine can be transformed into a lovely amaro or vermouth. 

The lab where the magic happens.

My favorite part of the tour was a glimpse into the lab, where the mad scientists of Matchbook come up with their ideas.  A board thick with post-its was testament to their creativity.  As I describe each of the liquors we tasted you will see what I mean, as they are made from everything from pineapple to black walnuts.  On the tour, we got to smell a huge vat of guava.

Guava!

After the tour and tasting, we bought several bottles to take home.  I will note that their goods are not inexpensive, but they are unique.  They also may be sold out.  I asked at my local liquor store why they don’t carry more Matchbook products, or carry them more regularly, since the store has an excellent array of local wines, and they said they just can’t rely on always getting what they want, since Matchbook is always trying new things.

The panoply of current offerings.
  •  Land of Muses  $42

My husband likes gins, so we started with their botanical gin.  The aroma is herbal and floral, but we found the taste a bit harsh, with some bitterness.  By the way, you can schedule an interesting experience at Matchbook, the opportunity to blend your own gin from the vast array of additions they have.

  • Limited Edition Some Night in Autumn Rum        about $40

Okay, this is strange, but Paul told us this rum is made by distilling a turkey!  The result is a funky rum, with a sweet aroma and a bit of an umami taste.  We can’t decide if we taste the meat or not, but we think it would mix well in a daquiri or with pineapple juice.  Don’t buy this for a vegetarian!

Yes, a turkey!
  • Flatlander Aleppo             $60

The Flatlanders are corn whiskies, and this one is made from 60% Dent corn, 18% Danko rye, and 13% malted barley, distilled “with East End Aleppo peppers” in a red wine cask.   See what I meant by mad scientists?  I liked it so much that I bought a bottle.  The aroma is of peppers and spice, but the taste is not overly spicy, and it finished smooth.  I look forward to making a cocktail with this, perhaps with some lime juice and agave syrup.

  • Double Dutch     $95

I told Paul I like whiskies and ryes, so this is one he suggested.  It is made with Danko rye and cherry eau-de-vie (and their website even lists the farms which grew their raw materials).  I was concerned it would be too sweet, but it is well balanced, like an already-made old fashioned, and would be good on ice.  All I need is a slice of orange and a bourbon-marinated cherry.  Again, I like it so much that I buy a bottle.

  • Bad Saint             $75

This is their single malt whiskey, but we do not care for it, finding it a bit harsh, with almost a plastic taste.  Maybe they need to age it longer.  I’ll stick to Laphroaig.

  • Late Embers        $60

This is the mezcal-like liquor I mentioned before.  You could fool me into thinking it came from Mexico!  It is smoky and vegetal with a bit of a starchy taste.

  • Ritual Sister        $70

They describe this as a “spirit distilled from pineapple,” and one step in the complicated process they detail on their web site involves roasting whole pineapples in a pit for days.  Our friend has noted that she likes botanical tastes, so this was one recommended to her by Paul.  We like this—whatever it is!  It definitely tastes pineapple-y, but also smoky, and is light and pleasant.

  • Elsewhere Blood Orange               $40

This is an after-dinner drink or a mixer for a margarita in place of Courvoisier.  It smells a bit like orange candy, and is sweet, but not overly so

  • Moon Blight        $40

Another liqueur, this is like a nocino, made from black walnuts and plum wine, plus some pinot noir.  It smells delicious, with aromas of plums and clove.  We all like the taste, as well, and detect a note of cardamom as well as plums, herbs, and spices.  Again, you should read the description on their web site about how this came to be.  I buy this too!

We saw one couple at a table enjoying cocktails.

Reasons to visit:  you like cocktails as well as wine; you want to try something different; the tour of the facility is fascinating; you’d like to learn more about distilling; the chance to try liquors and liqueurs you won’t find anywhere else; I particularly liked the Flatlander Aleppo, the Double Dutch, and the Moon Blight, but it is worth having a conversation with your server about your likes and dislikes so they can customize a tasting for you.

Matchbook Distilling Company: And Now for Something Completely Different

Posted by nofowineaux in Uncategorized, Vodka and Whisky and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

#matchbookdistilling

February 26, 2022

We had a plan.  The young members of our group (see my blog about Jamesport Farm Brewery) would enjoy ice skating on the rink in Greenport, while three of the adults would make the short trek to Matchbook Distilling Company.  The best laid plans…the rink was closed!  But the blacksmith shop was open, plus hot chocolate at Aldo’s and several rounds on the carousel (where the youngest caught the brass ring for the first time), kept them occupied while, indeed, we three meandered through the back streets of a residential neighborhood until we came to an unassuming, low-slung warehouse building.  Inside was a fascinating and unexpected scene, one to which we hope to return.

This is the entrance, next to a small parking lot.

Matchbook Distilling makes liquors and liqueurs—which is sort of like saying Disney makes rides.  And what a ride we had!  In the sleek tasting room, we sat in high chairs at a bar and perused the three tasting flights on offer.  Categorized as Bright, Bold, and Punchy, each included tastes of three products.  The Punchy was $20, and the Bold $25. Though the pour may seem small to those used to beer and wine flights, remember the higher alcohol content of these drinks.  It was plenty, and even allowed the three of us to taste all six of the samples we got—plus a seventh in response to our enthusiasm. 

My usual tasting buddy and I opted for the Bold flight—out of which I bought bottles of two of our sippers—and the third member of our crew got the Punchy one.  He, by the way, had actually been to Matchbook before, when he participated in the Gin Experience, in which you get to create your own unique gin by combining the many ingredients on offer, an experience he thoroughly enjoyed.  You have to make a reservation to do that, and, until recently, you also needed a reservation to do a tasting, which is partly why we hadn’t been there before.  However, it seems that on a Saturday afternoon they will take walk-ins.  I would call or email to check on that.

As we were finishing our tasting, we were invited to accompany a group setting out on a tour of the facilities, which they do at regular intervals on the weekend.  The tour only takes about fifteen minutes, and is very impressive.  Our guide led us through some doors at the far end of the tasting room, and we entered a cavernous warehouse facility, filled with gleaming machines, wooden barrels, and huge bags of grains and other ingredients.  For example, we saw large vats filled with halved blood oranges, for their blood orange liqueur.  They process 8,000 pounds of blood oranges to make 6,000 bottles, we were told.

The lab!
Blood oranges.
I like orange liqueurs, so this is on my list for next time.

Back in the tasting room, we saw a list of snacks, though we didn’t need any, and also of cocktails on offer.

I learned all sorts of random bits of distilling lore, including that they use something called a dunder pit to make some of their rum, which is an open pit in the manner of Jamaican rum producers.  Basically, it is analogous to the everlasting stocks some cooks will make, with some of a previous batch added to each next batch, leading to deep and complex flavors.  Matchbook’s dunder pit is already three years old.  They also make a point of using organic and local ingredients as much as possible.

Like Channing Daughters, my favorite winery for all its experimentation with new flavors and combinations, Matchbook calls themselves an R+D distillery, in that they are constantly trying new things.  I guess I’ll have to go back.

In no particular order, these are the drinks we tried:

  •  Flatlander Aleppo Pepper           $63

Described on their website as “New York Corn Whiskey with Aleppo Peppers, aged in a Red Wine Cask,” this looks like any whiskey, but has a taste all its own.  It smells of allspice and pepper and smoke, elements that are also in the taste.  “It has a kick,” sagely observes my tasting buddy.  I could see sipping this neat, or with just a drop or two of water.

  • Mad King Hopped Apple Brandy               $53

I find the aroma of this somewhat medicinal, and the taste as well, but our friend likes it. 

  • Wall Flower       $35

This is a dunder rum, made partially with the product of the dunder pit.  It has a lovely flowery aroma, and would be wonderful in a daquiri.

  • Ritual Sister       $68

Have you ever had a liquor distilled from pineapple?  No, neither had I.  Our server described how, over at the Lin Beach House (where a group of the Matchbook people live) they made a fire in a pit and roasted pineapples for three days, partly as Covid lockdown distraction.  The result in an almost too-easy-to-drink tipple, with smoky and fruity tastes.

  • Late Embers Sunchoke + Honey                $60

I really like mezcal, so I was intrigued to try this version made with sunchokes.  I’ve had sunchokes, a tuber with a crisp texture somewhat like a water chestnut.  Well, apparently it has the same “chains of fructose molecules, called inulin” as agave, according to the Matchbook website, and has the advantage of growing like a weed in the Northeast.  They use their firepit for this as well, and smoke and steam the sunchokes.  It smells like a mezcal, and tastes like one, too.  I buy a bottle. It is smoky and fruity and delicious, and that evening our friend combines it with reposado tequila, Grand Marnier, freshly squeezed lemon, lime, and orange juice, and a bit of agave syrup to make transcendental margaritas, which we have with seviche made with local bay scallops we pick up at Braun’s on our way home.  (Then for dinner we have tuna steaks and Channing Daughters rosé, with Nofodoco doughnuts for dessert.  Not too shabby.)    

  • Metamodernity Bourbon            $78

LIV makes a bourbon, but I like this one better.  It’s made with corn, wheat, barley, and oats, and has some of the sweetness you expect in a bourbon, but also more flavor than most.  It actually smells to me like a corn muffin! I buy a bottle of this, too, and find it makes a perfect night-cap, with just a touch of water and one ice cube.

  • Bling Nova Wheat Vodka             $37

Because I got into a gin vs. vodka discussion with one of the people behind the bar, he suggests that I try their vodka, which he notes has more flavor than most.  He’s right.  It has a subtle taste of grains.  If you’re looking to boycott Russian vodkas, you might try a bottle of this. 

Reasons to visit:  you like hard liquor and are open to trying new versions of old favorites; they are like a bunch of brilliant mad scientists, trying all sorts of unusual ingredients and methods; you’d like a tour of a distillery; you want to try your hand at blending your own gin; you want to try something new, not a winery or brewery or cidery; you’re on vacation in Greenport and want to do a tasting in walking distance of downtown. 

Some of the options for flavoring your own gin.