The rising popularity of whiskey has seen independent distilleries pop up across the states in recent years, now including Idaho. Boise Weekly highlights its recent crop of local distillery openings, many of which are using locally-sourced ingredients.
8 Feathers Distillery plans to produce bourbon and “Scotch-style, single malt whiskey,” as well as experiment with unconventional grains like teff. However, Idahoans will have to wait a few years for the whiskey to age before getting a taste. For the time being, 8 Feathers is producing unfiltered, double-distilled corn moonshine. It is aged in un-charred barrels for two month before bottling.
Idaho Bourbon Distillers will ship out its first orders on July 20th. “The first batch is going to be moonshine and then we’ll probably release an aged rye this holiday season,” says owner Mike Nicholson. IBD’s white whiskey will not be barrel-aged, but will offer different (questionable) flavors: bacon and apple pie. Following the mold of traditional Kentucky bourbon production, Nicholson aims to make IBD an elite bourbon distillery.
After building equipment by hand over past two years, Northern Pacific Distillery is only a few weeks away from opening its doors. The distillery plans to produce gin “flavored with local botanicals, along with a line of vodkas and moonshines flavored with real ingredients” as well as whiskey.
Although the process will take a few years, Idaho will have line of whiskies to call its own. In the meantime, it’s white whiskey all the way. [Boise Weekly] [Photo: Flickr/Loren Kerns]