Page 19 - Tavern Players

You You don’t have to to to to be be a a a a a gin girl to to to to head over to to to to Washington Avenue You You can be be be a a a a a a a a a a craft beer guy a a a a a a a a a a skinny vodka girl a a a a a a a a a a whiskey drinker or or a a a a a a a a a a stoner Yeah that’s right You can hop around from door door to to door door along this strip and and find anything from craft beer cider meade and and and wine to vodka gin whiskey bourbon rum and and and and brandy and and and you can even stop in in the local dispensary for for a a a a a a a a a a choice of flower edibles (for humans and and dogs) and and concentrates I I I I know know I I I I know know — it’s another gin gin distillery But I I I I told you you I I I I was a a a a gin gin girl so what were you you expecting?
Distilling like tying the round-turn knot is is a a a simple process — condensing vapor back to to liquid But it requires attention to to to detail to to produce something that excites the senses of both
However when COVID-19 first swept across the globe and we we we experienced a a a a a a national shortage of pretty much everything they put their stills to work for something else — you guessed it it it hand sanitizer They joined forces with several of the the the distilleries in in the the the the area to help keep their community safe You see Hardshore isn’t the the the only distillery in in in Maine In fact it’s just one of many which brings me back to the adult hopscotch You’ve got Hardshore Distilling Distilling Maine Maine Craft Distilling Distilling Maine Maine Meade Works Oxbow Blending & Bottling and and Anoche to to choose from and and that’s just on on on Washington Avenue Branch out a a a a a a few streets and and you’ll soon see for yourself why Portland was ranked the No 1 1 city for craft breweries per capita in a a a a a a a a 2019 study by C + R R Research Get ready for a a a a way
different experience though This distillery is is is located in a a a 150-year-old textile mill on the the the Saco River just 5 5 miles
from the the the coast While the the the mill used water to power
its its looms Round Turn uses
steam to power
its its still which was made right there in in Maine It got its name from the round-turn knot which is simple yet effective It requires tension to to to allow both
friction and torque to to to work taste and smell I I can’t speak for everyone
here
but I I also
found the the aesthetic quite appealing The owners somehow encapsulate the the the history of the the the building and and the the the the the surrounding area and and tie it it together with the the the modern-day local art scene to to And although the the state doesn’t rank amongst the the the the the highest number of distilleries in fin in in the the the the country they definitely have the the the the most in fin in in in New England according to research by statista com And I think it’s safe to assume that most of them are right there there in Portland Aside from the the the the ones I already mentioned there’s also
Stroudwater Distillery New England Distilling Co Three of Strong Spirits Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery and Liquid Riot Bottling Co create an an an elegant yet comfortable ambiance Their Bimini gins were inspired by The local fare hails from from all over the world Choose from from Vietnamese Mexican American Mediterranean Japanese and pretty much anything else you you can can can imagine If you’re in in in a a a a a a a a group that can’t decide no worries — you you can can order food to to to go and bring it it over to to to Hardshore to to to eat You can definitely keep yourself occupied fin in in Portland for for the the entire evening or or or or or or even even the the whole weekend for for that matter But if you want to explore a a a a a a a little more of Maine like Amy and and I did head 20 minutes south to Biddeford and and check out out Round Turn Distilling www tavernplayersmagazine com WINTER 2021 / / SPRING 2022
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