Copperworks Distilling is exploring the frontiers of whiskey and food—and bringing their friends
IMAGES BY BECKY GARRISON | ADDITIONAL IMAGES BY COPPERWORKS
One might assume Kentucky native Jason Parker would be a bourbon man, but his heart lies in crafting American Single Malt whiskeys—with a decidedly Pacific Northwest twist.
As the first head brewer for Pike Brewing Company, and co-founder of Copperworks Distilling Company, Jason Parker crafts whiskeys predicated on making great beer. His decision to use locally sourced products and engage in sustainable distilling practices—sourcing Washington State Salmon-Safe certified barley, conserving water and donating to local grassroots organizations to name a few—led the American Distilling Institute (ADI) to designate Copperworks as Distillery of the Year in 2018.
“On two occasions, we had people tell me that what’s different about this experience is that they can wander from table to table and talk to anyone in the room, as opposed to being a bunch of private individuals dining out at a restaurant. We’re giving the community a place to gather and strengthen their community bonds.” —Jason Parker
At his distillery, Parker seeks to challenge expectations by pairing whiskey with food that creates new sensory experiences. As a protégé of Pike Brewing’s co-founder Charles Finkel, Parker learned how to deftly pair wine and beer with food. Finkel taught the “Three Cs” concept of pairing, whereby one chooses a beer, wine, cider or spirit that will either “contrast, complement or cut” with food.
As Parker observes, “We can contrast and show the difference between particular types of sweet and savory as a good example. Other foods can be very complimentary with the cocktail enforcing one of the flavors in the dish. Finally, cutting is something that clears the palate by breaking up the flavors so the taste isn’t one-dimensional.
For example, a product containing acid could break through the oiliness present in a cheese-based dish. If one is not mindful of these three Cs, one can very easily end up with dishes and drinks that can taste delicious solo, but are not pleasant on the palate when combined.” Generally, cocktails are paired with food due to the spirit’s high alcohol content.
“When you make a cocktail using a particular spirit, you have a chance to bring part of that spirit’s ingredients into that cocktail,” says Parker. The same applies for their food menu. A honey glaze drizzled on some vegetables could also be added to an old fashioned to bring out a similar sweetness. “Now you’re tying this flavor thread through both the cocktail and the food.”
In Parker’s estimation, the easiest way to pair food and spirits is to first taste not just the spirit itself but also the raw ingredients used in making this spirit. As the Copperworks team distills American Single Malt Whiskey made using 100% malted barley, they will work with a chef to incorporate the same malt or spent grains as part of a dish they can pair with Copperworks’ whiskey. For example, they may include the ground caramel malt used as part of the mashbill for a particular spirit as part of the batter for fried shrimp. Or, when pairing with their gin, the chef may use the base alcohol and some of the gin botanicals in a salad dressing.
This summer, Copperworks is opening a farm-totable restaurant in partnership with De La Soil where they will feature such pairings. In the meantime, thanks to the Washington Distillers Guild’s advocacy efforts as of 2019, distilleries can feature other Washington producers’ products in their cocktails, as well as offer a limited amount of other producers’ products for sale.
Currently, Copperworks offers spirits from BROVO Spirits, Fast Penny Spirits, Letterpress Distilling and Highside Distilling. Other local ingredients include Scrappy’s Bitters and Bradley’s Kina Tonic.
Each Copperworks cocktail tells a story, speaking to both the craft ingredients found in their spirits, and the close relationships that have arisen from these pairings. One such long-term connection is with BROVO Spirits, a women-owned distillery in nearby Woodinville. BROVO Spirits CEO Mhairi Voelsgen also serves as president of the Washington Distillers Guild.
In this capacity, she spearheaded legislation that allowed distilleries to have multiple tasting rooms.
“I told Mhairi we will always keep her product on our menu because of her efforts that led to us opening a second tasting room in Kenmore,” Parker proclaims.
Their collaborations don’t stop at the distilled. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Copperworks and Beecher’s Handmade Cheese offered virtual cocktail and cheese pairings classes. In addition to Beecher’s, Copperworks also partnered with Bob Blade of Salt Blade Meats to make a salami infused with Copperworks Small Batch Gin. Girl Meets Dirt, based on Orcas Island, provided some of the Italian prune plums used in the early versions of Copperworks’ Plum Gin. They furthered this partnership by taking Copperworks’ gin-soaked plums to create their ”Ginny Jam” plum preserve.
Visitors can expect to find bar snacks made by these local producers at both of Copperworks’ tasting rooms.These small bites are paired with classic craft cocktails like their old fashioned, made with Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters that gives their version a silky mouthfeel. Copperworks also sells Bradley’s Kina Tonic (used in their signature gin & tonics) and balsamic vinegar made in Enumclaw by Rock Ridge Orchards to round out their local offerings.
Moving forward, Parker plans to partner with a local chocolate maker to produce whiskey- and gin-flavored truffles and with nearby wineries to barrel-finish their gins and whiskeys. But they won’t stop there—Copperworks plans on changing their menu often, which will offer opportunities to collaborate with other distilleries they’ve formed partnerships with.
When asked how their tasting room helps form a community, Parker conveyed this anecdote in his Kentucky drawl about their new Kenmore cocktail bar:
“On two occasions, we had people tell me that what’s different about this experience is that they can wander from table to table and talk to anyone in the room, as opposed to being a bunch of private individuals dining out at a restaurant. We’re giving the community a place to gather and strengthen their community bonds.”
The Kenmore tasting room’s expansive indoor and outdoor spaces can accommodate maker’s markets, music nights and other community gatherings. Every Monday, the distillery donates their space to a local nonprofit, club or community group to raise money and awareness about their mission. For every cocktail they sell, the local group will receive a dollar. Copperworks also encourages these groups to bring in speakers, stakeholder meetings and festivals with the goal of becoming a central hub for both local producers and the greater Seattle community.
Copperworks Distilling Seattle Tasting Room
1250 Alaskan Way
Seattle, WA 98101
Kenmore Tasting Room
7324 NE 175th St
Kenmore, WA 98028
Copperworksdistilling.com