MICHIGAN RADIO: Cheers! Peppercorn and arugula spice up a St. Patrick’s Day drink

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By LESTER GRAHAM • MAR 15, 2019

On the counter there was a big stone mortar and pestle, and a capped bottle with a vivid green liquid in it labeled “ARUGULA.” It was clear, this was going to be a different kind of drink.

“I had reason to make some green cocktails a couple of weeks ago and I started thinking about how you can do that and arugula makes a really nice syrup. You just blend it with some simple syrup and you get this beautiful bright green syrup that has some of that nice peppery arugula bite,” explained Tammy Coxen with Tammy’s Tastings.

That peppery bite was inspiration for selecting a spirit.

“I immediately thought of long road distillers Wendy Peppercorn spirit,” Tammy said.

Okay. A green drink for St. Patrick’s day. That’s better than green beer, right?

“Anything is better than green beer, Lester,” Tammy quipped.

But, it still didn’t really explain the mortar and pestle. In it were bright pink peppercorns and some salt.

“I thought it really needed a touch of salt and it also just needed a touch of something else,” Tammy said.” “That Wendy Peppercorn is a great spirit. But I wanted the peppercorns to be a little more punchy so I decided that it would be delicious and pretty if I were to put a rim on the glass.”

You’ve probably seen a bartender just dip the rim of the glass in some liquid and then dip it in some salt. That means salt is on the outside and the inside of the rim.

“Here I just carefully used a lime wedge to only put some moisture on the outside of the rim and then I rolled it through that salt and pink peppercorn blend. So if you turn out to not like the saltiness or you don’t like the extra pink peppercorn you’re not constantly bringing more of that back into your drink as you sip it. And for the same reason I also chose to only rim half the glass,” she said.

The Wendy Peppercorn is pretty intense, so Tammy decided to mix in some of Long Road’s Original Vodka. Add some arugula syrup and some lime juice and you’ve got a unique drink.

St. Patrick Peppercorn

1 1/4 oz vodka
3/4 oz Long Road Distillers Wendy Peppercorn
3/4 oz lime juice
3/4 oz arugula syrup
Rim: salt and pink peppercorn

First, prepare your glass. Grind salt and pink peppercorn together in a mortar and pestle or blitz in a spice grinder. Place on a plate. Use a lime wedge to moisten the outside rim of a cocktail coupe, then roll in peppercorn salt. Set aside. Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into prepared glass.

Arugula Syrup

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 handfuls baby arugula leaves

Make simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a saucepan and
heating until sugar is dissolved. Let cool. (Alternately, use 6 oz of
already-prepared simple syrup if you have it on hand.) Combine simple
syrup and arugula in a blender. Blend until well pulverized, but not
long enough to heat the syrup and turn it brown (15-30 seconds
depending on your blender). Strain through a fine mesh strainer and
store refrigerated.

This story has been updated to add the Arugula Syrup recipe.

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MICHIGAN RADIO: Cheers! ‘A Grand Night’ inspired by a Grand Rapids collaboration

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By LESTER GRAHAM • JAN 25, 2019

Combining the best of an after dinner coffee and an after dinner amaro, Tammy Coxen of Tammy’s Tastings came up with the perfect night cap thanks to a collaboration between a Grand Rapids distiller and a Grand Rapids coffee roaster.

Tammy has been playing around with a new product from Long Road Distillers named Amaro Pazzo in a collaboration with Madcap Coffee.

“There are a lot of different distillers in the state making coffee liqueurs. There’s ample opportunity everywhere,” Tammy noted, adding that she loves the sense of collaboration.

“But, what I really love about Amaro Pazzo is that it took coffee liqueur to a whole new level by incorporating these amaro elements,” she said.

Amaro is a category of liqueur. Historically, amari come from Italy. It seems as though every little town has its own amaro. Most of them are intended as an after dinner drink, a digestivo.

“They are often quite bitter, usually somewhat sweet,” Tammy explained. They include lots of botanicals and tons of interesting flavors.

Tammy was surprised that Amaro Pazzo’s coffee taste is not the first thing you note when taking a sip.

“There’s some orange peel in here so you get a little citrus up front. Then the gentian and wormwood that they’re using as bittering elements really come through. The coffee is actually on the finish,” she said.

She’s been experimenting to see how the new amaro might be used in a cocktail. Sticking with the ‘after dinner’ theme, she decided to concoct a night cap and calls it “A Grand Night” in honor of that Grand Rapids collaboration.

A Grand Night

2 oz Plantation Original dark rum
1 oz Amaro Pazzo
1/2 oz creme de cacao

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir to combine. Strain into a coupe cocktail glass.

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Liquor.com: 11 GREAT AMERICAN AMARI TO TRY NOW

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Contributed by Amy ZavattoPosted on Jan 21, 2019

Minnesota fernet? Pineapple amaro? Our collective thirst for the Italian liqueur amaro is no bitter pill. So fully have we embraced the low-alcohol, bark and botanical-based digestif that it was only a matter of time before American-made versions began to blossom.

Around the turn of our current decade, companies like Root in Pennsylvania and Leopold Bros. in Colorado launched some of the first serious forays into the domain of digestifs. Today, producers from Buffalo to Los Angeles are on the forefront of a second wave of homegrown amaros. These are 10 standouts to check out right now.

8: LONG ROAD DISTILLERS AMARO PAZZO ($35)
Released in December, this is a collaboration between two Grand Rapids, Mich., producers: Long Road Distillers and Madcap Coffee Company. The bean base they settled upon for the liqueur is Reko from the Kochere region of Ethiopia and offers a citrus oil and candied ginger richness to the combo of botanicals used in the amaro, notably myrrh, turkey rhubarb, orange and wormwood. While they aren’t the first to make an amaro that looks to coffee for some extra complexity, they do appear to be the first to think carefully about what that coffee is and should be (aka, a single origin) and to really dial in how it plays with the botanicals.

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Fox 17: Long Road Distillers announces Amaro Pazzo

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POSTED DECEMBER 27, 2018, BY BOB BRENZING
For more, check out the Long Road Distillers website.

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9&10 News: How to Make Two Holiday Cocktails with Long Road Distillers

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December 21, 2018 by Charlie Tinker

It’s a long road from Grand Rapids to Boyne City.

And the Long Road Distillers are making spirits bright in their new location.

They joined the four crew in the Heritage House Kitchen on Friday to concoct some holiday-worthy libations.

Polish Falcon

2 oz Long Road Vodka
1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
3-4 oz Ginger Beer
Add vodka, lime and ice to cocktail shaker and shake. Strain into metal mug, garnish with lime wheel and mint sprig.

Maple Wheat Toddy

1 1/2 oz Maple Wheat Whisky
1 oz Long Road Cinnamon Simple Syrup
1 oz fresh lemon juice
3-4 oz of hot water
Add whisky, simple syrup and fresh lemon to mug. Top with hot water and stir. Garnish with lemon wheel.

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Grand Rapids Business Journal: Spirits maker wins statewide Distillery of the Year title

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December 12, 2018| By Ehren Wynder |

A local distillery has received some love on the state’s east side.

Grand Rapids-based Long Road Distillers was named Distillery of the Year last weekend at the first-ever Golden Jigger Awards, hosted by Nick Britsky, founder of NickDrinks.com, at the Willis Show Bar in Detroit.

“This is an amazing honor,” said Jon O’Connor, co-founder and co-owner, Long Road Distillers.

“We have a ton of respect for every nominee on this list, as they are the leaders of craft distilling in metro Detroit. To be nominated with them is honor enough — but to top the list coming from West Michigan demonstrates our commitment to crafting world-class spirits.”

Long Road topped a list of five Michigan distillery nominees selected by NickDrinks.com.

The winner was chosen by public vote, a panel of metro Detroit food and beverage media, hospitality industry professionals and the team at NickDrinks.com.

“With the input received by the public vote and our expert panel of judges, it was clear that Long Road Distillers has established themselves as one of the go-to Michigan distilleries for Detroit bartenders and spirits enthusiasts,” Britsky said.

“Their hard work in crafting unique spirits and their intentionality in building relationships in metro Detroit has certainly paid off.”

NickDrinks.com is a news blog that focuses on the Michigan beverage industry.

The site also runs a weekly TV show, “Nick Drinks at Night,” filmed live at CMN TV in Troy every Monday night at 7 p.m.

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Grand Rapids Business Journal: Spirits maker and coffee company partner on liqueur

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December 10, 2018| By Ehren Wynder |

A local distillery and a coffee roaster have teamed up to produce an Italian liqueur.

Grand Rapids-based Long Road Distillers will release Amaro Pazzo tomorrow at a special release party from 4 p.m. to midnight at the distillery, at 537 Leonard St. NW.

Statewide distribution will follow the in-house release, and the liqueur will be available year-round.

Amaro Pazzo was created in collaboration with Madcap and utilizes Madcap’s Reko coffee as one of the primary ingredients.

The release party will feature half-off the new liqueur and coffee cocktails made with Amaro Pazzo and Madcap coffee.

“Few put as much time and dedication into their craft as Madcap,” said Jon O’Connor, co-founder and co-owner, Long Road Distillers. “Amaro Pazzo is an ode to our shared commitment to take the time to do things right and to craft the exceptional. We can’t wait to introduce people to what we’ve been able to create together.”

Amaro is a traditional Italian herbal liqueur, commonly enjoyed before or after dinner. It is typically bittersweet in flavor and has some sugar added for balance.

Madcap’s Reko coffee comes from the Kochere region of Ethiopia. After tasting coffee varieties from all over the world, Madcap and Long Road agreed that Reko would impart the most complementary flavors for Amaro Pazzo, most notably citrus, lemongrass and ginger.

“The team at Long Road has a special respect and intention for the ingredients they work with,” said Ryan Knapp, coffee director, Madcap. “Collaborating with our friends at Long Road was a natural fit with our similar philosophy on how we approach ingredients and flavor.”

Long Road Amaro Pazzo, is also made with myrrh, turkey rhubarb, two types of orange, wormwood and a blend of other ingredients.

It is bottled at 57 proof, or 28.5-percent ABV.

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Fox 17: Popular West Michigan distillery releases new batch of bourbon

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POSTED DECEMBER 2, 2018, BY FOX 17 NEWS
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Long Road Distillers is releasing a new batch of it’s straight bourbon on Monday.

It’s the second release for the bourbon, which has been aged in oak barrels for more than two years.

To celebrate, you can get half off any drink, including the bourbon, all day December 3 at Long Road.

Statewide distribution will start later in the week.

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Grand Rapids Business Journal: Spirits maker releasing new batch of bourbon

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November 30, 2018| By Ehren Wynder |
A local distillery is rolling out a limited-release spirit.

Grand Rapids-based Long Road Distillers will release batch No. 2 of its Straight Bourbon Whisky on Dec. 3 at the distillery, at 537 Leonard St. NW.

Statewide distribution will follow later in the week.

Long Road’s Straight Bourbon Whisky was one of the earliest products the company distilled.

Straight whiskey, by definition, must be aged at least two years in a new American oak barrel that has been charred on the inside.

Long Road’s bourbon is bottled at 93 proof, or 46.5 percent alcohol by volume.

Its mash bill consists of corn and wheat from Heffron Farms in Belding and malted barley grown along the lakeshore and malted locally.

“Good whiskey takes time,” said Jon O’Connor, co-founder and co-owner, Long Road Distillers. “We’ve patiently waited to release our second batch of straight bourbon and have carefully selected barrels from two different mash bills to blend together for a whiskey we’re proud to call our own.”

To celebrate the second iteration of Straight Bourbon Whisky, Long Road will be offering half-off tastes, pours and cocktails of the spirit, as well as the first opportunity to purchase a bottle. Specials will be available from opening at 4 p.m. until close at midnight.

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REVUE West Michigan: Hunter Gatherers – Long Road Distillers takes no shortcuts with its MICHIGIN

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Written by Josh Veal for REVUE West Michigan

Tucked safely between the peninsulas, Beaver Island is a singular place, untethered from time and unburdened by the mainland’s concerns.

When we traveled there with Jon O’Connor and Kyle Van Strien of Long Road Distillers to scout for juniper berries, it felt like entering another world. It’s a place where the cars are purely functional, running just well enough to move you through the heavily wooded, unpaved roads. A place where you wave, to everyone, always.

But most importantly, it’s a place with rich history and an incredible sense of community, which is crucial to Long Road’s MICHIGIN, a spirit made entirely with Michigan ingredients.

“We joke about getting a place on the island because we feel like we go there so often now,” Van Strien said. “We’re still outsiders coming in, but we definitely feel welcomed by the majority of folks we come in contact with. We always have someone we can call.”

That much was clear from our first trip to the market. Van Strien knew practically everyone there, including the owner, and all of them knew others he could contact. Without the island’s residents, MICHIGIN wouldn’t be possible.

Juniper “berries” are the crux of a good gin, and they only grow in the wild. The small blue orbs are actually cones that lend the spirit its strong pine flavor. Theoretically, if you wanted to simply drive around the countryside and start picking, you could do that, but you’d never know whose property you’re on.

On Beaver Island, however, juniper runs rampant and Long Road’s network of contacts makes it easy to figure out who owns what. We drove around looking for thick patches in the confirmed you-won’t-get-shot areas as Van Strien dropped pins on a robust GPS app. The following week, they would return with staff in tow.

The actual act of picking the berries is a far cry from visiting the orchard with your mom — Long Road’s staff gathered hundreds of pounds over the course of 15 hours, split between two days. The entire process is hard work from beginning to end, which Van Strien fully appreciates. He said it’s much easier to make an all-Michigan whiskey or vodka.

Gin also means sourcing other botanicals locally, such as mint. This year, Long Road also added white pine, foraged from Byron Center Farm, which should dry out the finish a bit and bring the pine flavor up front. The new batch is on shelves now.

All that hard work comes through in the finished products. MICHIGIN has won plenty of awards, including Revue’s own Best of the West readers poll. And in a way, getting to spend any time at all on Beaver Island is a reward of its own.

“It’s so beautiful,” Van Strien said. “It’s one of the coolest places you can visit in the state.”

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