Local Cred: LeClaire, Iowa

'Being local' is worn as a badge of honor in the craft spirit world.  The world 'local' is to microbrewers what the word 'edgy' is to bad indie bands.  What the world 'live' is to television producers.  The word 'fresh' to grocery stores.  The word artisanal to just about every other damn industry in this country.  It's philosophy and marketing all rolled into one.   In craft spirits, it's one of the many things that helps distingish the these small operations from the Big Boys and it's a handy justification for getting plowed like a December morn.

You're not a drunk, you are just a good citizen supporting the local economy.... supporting it until you sleep in the bathtub.

There are bragging rights, and then there is what the Mississippi River Distilling Company does.  They are local and they are willing to prove it.  Every bottle is labeled with the year and batch number.  From their web sight you can read the story about how exactly your little bottle of booze went from being grains in the field to being awesome in a glass.

On a side note, I would like to thank Dan Schurr of LeClaire and Tracy Doonan of Reynolds, Illinois for growing the corn and wheat for my bottle of River Baron.  Also a hat tip to the bottle crew who filled 1200 bottles in one night.

 Garrett, who owns the distillery that sits on the banks of the Mississippi River with his brother, makes locality major selling point when giving tours of his distillery.   He admits that the oak barrels they use for the whiskey are an exception to his '20 mile radius rule' but as Garrett says, "[the barrels] come from Minesota near the headwaters of the Mississippi.  We figure if they can float the barrels down the river to us, then it's local."

The distillery is open seven days a week for tours.  Iowa law limits the tasting any one person can do in a day, so I was only able to taste their River Baron and their Strawberry Vodka.

River Barron: This is described by the distillery as an 'artisinal liquor', in other words, it doesn't fit in any typical liquor category.  The mix of corn and wheat make it similar to a whiskey except that it's not barrel aged at all.  It's not really vodka because the mark of a good vodka is purity and a lack of flavor, whereas the light, sweet butterscotch flavors and aromas are very intentional.  The term 'moonshine' has certain connotations, but that's basically what it is is.  Really, really well made moonshine. 

Strawberry Vodka: This is the first distillery that I have run across that offers special seasonal liquors.  These are special creations that are available for a very limited time and then are gone forever... or at least until the distillers get the urge to make it again.   This had a nice light berry flavor without being overly sweet or syrupy.

They also offer two different types of whiskey, a bourbon and a rye whiskey.  They were out of both, but they did allow a quick smell from the barrels.    The burbon had lots of sweet fruity aromas, I picked out some pear and apple notes.  The rye was lighter and had a leathery quality to it.   I'll have to save the flavor for another time... see, that's how they get you.