Whistling Andy's Distillery

Montana is blessed with many fine micro-breweries and to a lesser extent, wineries, so it’s no surprise that distilleries were soon to follow.  One of these pioneers is Whistling Andy’s in Bigfork. If you wish to start a taste test of Montana distilleries, this was a good place to begin.

Whistling Andy’s makes vodka, gin, silver rum, Montana moonshine and their amazing award-winning Hibiscus Coconut Rum.  This bright red concoction was not something I would see myself enjoying since I tend to lean toward the smoky tasting darker spirits and away from the sweet. I have to say, however that this rum was downright tasty just by itself served over some ice.  It certainly doesn’t taste as sweet as it looks which is a good thing.  On our last visit, Dave and I also took home some of the crisp cucumber gin which was divine in a classic martini.  Check out a recipe for a Knickerbocker on the recipe section of the blog using this gin.

Whistling Andy’s has a lovely tasting room for visitors to enjoy and if a distiller is on hand, a quick tour of the backroom distilling facility is an added treat.  The distilling process is fascinating and complicated.  (By backroom I don’t mean “backroom” as in a homemade still in the woods behind the building. It really is in the backroom).  The bartenders are quick with a few free samples or you can enjoy a well made cocktail for a fair price.  My visit began with a wonderful hot cider made with the moonshine. It was heavenly on a cold morning and I just get a huge thrill out of drinking anything with “moonshine” in it.  It makes me feel like I’m getting away with something. 

One of the best parts of Whistling Andy’s is that they are a true local establishment.  They use Montana grains in their liquors and use local distributors for any ingredients that can’t be found here. Unfortunately no one has figured out a way to grow sugarcane in Montana so the rum falls into this last category.  Since many good types of liquor need time to mature, I foresee Whistling Andy’s wares only improving with time. 

Notice the bottle is empty. This is not something that will sit on your shelf for too long.

Visit Whistling Andy’s at 8541 MT Hwy 35 in Bigfork. They are open seven days a week (don’t you love Montana?) from 11-7.  Visit them on the web to find out about events and where to find their liquors at http://www.whistlingandy.com/.

The Perfect Local Date, twice

A few weeks ago, Dave and I had a dinner date at one of my favorite Missoula restaurants, Biga Pizza. Not only was it tasty but it also turned out to be the perfect local dinner.  We ordered the sweet potato, bacon and maple chipotle pizza.  Biga has many spectacular pizzas but this one is made with local bacon, caramelized sweet potatoes, toasted hazelnuts, olive oil, mozzarella and a maple-chipotle drizzle, and it’s the one I usually find myself ordering when I’m there. The salty bacon, crunchy nuts and sweet and spicy drizzle are a perfect compliment to each other. To add to our dining pleasure we bought a bottle of Missoula’s Ten Spoons’ Range Rider Red wine to go along with the pizza. I couldn’t believe the price of the bottle of wine, $16.00, which is exactly what you’d pay for it in the grocery store. No big mark-up here.   

Range Rider Red is a fabulous full-bodied dry wine. (Am I fooling you that I know what I’m talking about when it comes to wine?) No matter, I know what I like and I like this wine. Range Rider Red is somewhat of a rarity since it’s one of the few wines that Ten Spoons produces that is made exclusively from grapes grown in Montana.

On a recent Saturday night, we had the mirror image of this dinner with our friends, Molli and Tony. We went to Ten Spoons tasting room and brought Biga Pizza.  I can’t seem to get enough of this combination. 

When you’re ready to have your perfect local date visit Biga Pizza, http://www.bigapizza.com/ to check out their current menu. A good sign of how important using local food is to a restaurant is to see how often the menu changes and this menu changes often so hurry if you want this pizza. To learn more about wonderful things they’re creating at Ten Spoons, go to http://www.tenspoons.com/. 

Book Review - The Locavore's Handbook by Leda Meredith

I’ve decided to incorporate my love of reading into my blog and do a book review from time to time.  I just recently finished The Locavore’s Handbook by Leda Meredith. I should have finished it much sooner than I did since it is an easy read and many parts didn’t apply to me but with the holidays it took me way longer than I’d like to admit. (Thanks Missoula Public Library.  The check is in the mail.) 

During one year, Leda Meredith committed herself to eating only food that was grown or raised within 250 miles of her home in Brooklyn, New York.  This book imparts the knowledge she gained while becoming a locavore and gives some great advice on how anyone can do the same.  Being that she lives in a small apartment in the city, she offers great tips on how to be a locavore on a budget, how to store food in a small space and how to grow your own food in just about any living conditions.  I especially enjoyed the chapter about growing your own food. She gives simple detailed instructions for indoor or outdoor gardens for those of us without much gardening experience plus it was nice to dream about spring when it was 10 degrees outside.   

There are several parts of the book that may or may not apply to you, for instance there’s an entire chapter about being single and being a locavore.  But more than lifestyle, the biggest difference between her and I is location.  She has access to at least one farmer’s market five days a week year round.  And, as I mentioned in my earlier post, The Locavore’s Dilemma, 250 miles from Brooklyn gets you much more variety than 250 miles from just about anywhere in Montana.  But if you look past or skip over those parts that don’t apply to those of us out west, you can still gain a wealth of knowledge on how (and why) you should become a locavore. 

Overall, I really recommend this book to anyone exploring a locavore lifestyle.  You’ll just have to wait until I turn it back in. 

Winter Farmer's Market

As any lover of local food, I lament the closing of the farmer’s markets every fall. As I peel my one thousandth California Satsuma in March, I begin to tick off the days until May when the market will open once again. Fortunately for us Missoulians, the recent opening of the Heirloom Winter Market is a big step in the right direction toward having access to local food throughout the year. 

If you’re expecting to see the summer market’s recreated inside, prepare yourself.  The fact of the matter is, very little produce grows in Montana this time of year. What you will find is a few tables of produce with broccoli, bok choy, brussel sprouts and onions among other hearty produce and a few tables of local baked goods.  There is also a room devoted to wonderful local packaged foods such as Tipu’s Chai, Bitterroot Toffee and many jars of jams and honey. My biggest delight was seeing Uncle Bill with his divine sausages holding court in the back corner.  He had several great suggestions on how to pair his sausage with the produce available at the market. I was informed that he is off to Thailand soon so here’s hoping someone will man his booth while he’s gone. 

                                                            

As with any new venture, the Heirloom Winter Market will only survive and grow if enough people show interest in it. So go, buy whatever you can and talk up the vendors just as you would during the summer markets.

The Heirloom Winter Market is open Saturdays from 10:00 to 12:00. It is located in the Ceretana Granary, a fine historic Missoula building at 801 Sherwood.