Please list your top 5 choices

I second Junipero Gin. Actually, can I vote for the whole Anchor portfolio?

Next, how about the whole Haus Alpenz line?

Torani Amer

Amaro Cio Ciaro

Bluecoat Gin

Damn, why'd we have to limit it to 5?

I'm bringing your Old Tom on Sunday too.

I like Bluecoat a lot. Its a very simple gin, light and eminently mixable.

Laird's bonded applejack

Calvados (any # of good products; this is an abysmal gap in OLCC portfolio)

Apfelkorn

Bulldog Gin

La Favorite Ambre Rhum (or any # of martiniques)

More mezcal!!

Just a starter list from me. Mostly, I'm concerned w/ embarassingly understocked categories, like calvados, rhums & mezcal, but I appreciate the ned to identify specific brands at the beginning.

That said, I'm down w/ Bluecoat & Zuidam as well. Herbsaint & Junipero are both in the system.

i would very much like us to focus on how to achieve some of these products in our oregon market. the idea for this post was to get the ball rolling and see what people are after. i'll throw down a lil list as well, but there are already some overlaps with what i would like to see here as well and some easy targets as i see it. hause alpenz line, products we would all likely use and maybe a good place to start. calvados (an affordable mixer is what i am most interested in). since, junipero just went on the reg. listed list in oregon, maybe we can try and get the rest of their line in, old potero, genevieve, etc. -- another good place to start. also, we might want to have absinthe samples sent to us so that we could pick on the one we realyl want to have and get the ball rolling on that as well looking forward to seeing if we can have any influence in what we get to use in this state! for me one of the most exciting prospects of this guild!

I was quite upset at the GADF, seeing as we got a preview of some products that aren't available in this state.

Bluecoat Gin

Batavia Arrack

Laird's Bonded

Rhum Niesson (or just more Rhum Agricole)

St George's Absinthe

As long as the Lemon Hart Demerara and Coruba Dark Jamaican are flowing, I'm generally a happy camper. Though I'd really love to see an open exchange with UK distillers (Plymouth Sloe Gin and Hayman's Old Tom)

My selfish Choices:

El Dorado line of Demerara Rums

Goslings Falernum

Wenneker Korenwijn (or any Genever, really)

Batavia Arrack

Pimm's Winter Cup

To back up a bit, I have to add my number one wish: a good creme de mure. Domaine Selections used to carry a decent creme de mure, the Lucien Jacob, but apparently they've been banged by the OLCC and aren't distributing it any longer.

Now, if we only lived in a state where blackberries grew abundantly. And if we only had a relationship with a local microdistillery....

Yes, creme de mure, creme de prunelle, those are obvious choices for summertime projects w/ House Spirits, aside from a less sweet elderflower liqueur.

That said, Pearl Liquor already carries a few items that should be of interest to some of you; Mae de Ouro Cachaca & Barsol Quebranta Pisco for starters (which I had to special order & only received in the last couple months); Partida tequila; Daron Calvados (yes, a good calvados), among others. Also, he's bringing in John's Q Tonic, which is pretty cool , if sort of a moot point for Teardrop.

My current list:

Batavia arrack

swedish punsch

Zacapa rum

non-151 demerara rum Lemon Hart or El Dorado fine

Cherry Heering

Heering is no longer on the list, and the stores have been telling me they haven't seen it for 6-8 months. Next time I get to Beaverton, I'll check for it. And Martinique rhum.

I bought a bottle of the Barsol on Wednesday from Pearl Market for $21. It only says 'Premium' and 'Quebranta' on the label, so I'd guess it's the only pisco they make. No mention of age and it is clear, so I don't know that this pisco is aged. It certainly has the taste of something fresh out of the still. Their 'website under construction' shows a blue outlined label, mine is red. I do know that it makes a hell of a Pisco Sour. I noted the Depaz, but at $47, I passed.

I just got back from the Beaverton Town Center store and they have a Black Bottle scotch. Much better selection than Uptown. They also have the Suntory 18yr ($120) and the Yamazaki 12 yr ($45) that someone asked about above. Also Junipero gin ($40). They also have Marie Brizard orange curacao (which is brown/orange in color) for $24. The only other MB product that I spotted was the Parfait Amour. They also have more Bols (or DeKraper for that matter) products than other stores. Their strong points seem to be Scotch (3-4 Springbanks), whiskies, and Tequila.

Other unusual stuff, mostly rums - Gosling Gold Rum ($17), Wray and Nephew overproof white ($23), Don Q Cristal rum ($16.50), LeBlon Cachaca ($28), Appleton white ($13). No Martinique rhum, and no Demerara other than the Lemon Hart 151.

For those who weren't able to make the meeting, Tim Davey (formerly of Uptown Liquor, now behind the bar at Clyde Common) has been contracted by his former boss to select a list of 15 new products to bring into the store in the next couple weeks. All in all, this is an exciting prospect, & perhaps the beginning of a wonderful new trend in liquor stores (at least around Portland, sorry Jeff). He's asked us for our top 15; we told him about this tread, which he'll hopefull be able to check out in the next couple of days. We could each email him, but it might be a good idea to help sort out/prioritize on this forum what we've already been discussing here for a while.

So the following list I'm throwing out there is a composite of those things we've already been talking about, but w/ an eye toward priorities. This will obviously reflect my bias, so please feel free to throw in your $.02

1. Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy

2. Calvados (as a neglected category, so I'd leave it to Tim to select a mid-range product or 2 to work with)

3. La Favorite Ambre Rhum (agricole rhum as a category again, but this is a particularly fine example w/o breaking the bank)

4. Mezcal (just wider selections, we've already got a fair amount of Del Maguey represented)

5. Batavian Arrack (or other items from the Haus Alpenz line)

6. Four Roses Bourbon (whatever among their line we can get)

7. Rittenhouse (I know it's been in the state sporadically, so this may be a separate stocking issue than introducing something we haven't seen before)

8. Rowan Creek 12 Yr. Bourbon

9. North Shore Gin #11 (I think we all enjoyed it at the meeting, but whether they're poised to start distrubution in a controlled state is up for grabs)

10. Creme de Violette (even though we'll be making our own, it'd be nice to have another)

11. Zuidam Gin (yes, more gin, but that's a recurring theme on this thread)

12. Rhum Clement Creole Shrub

13. Pierre Ferrand Ambre or Dudognon Reserve Cognac (both $45ish in the CA market, amazing at a not outrageous price)

14. Osocalis Brandy (delicious alambic from north CA)

15. Apfelkorn (almost embarassed to include it, but I've got enough regulars asking for it)

So add/critique, help flush out the list as you will. We only have throught Tuesday 3/4 to do so.

Sonja can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think North Shore really gets out of the Chicago metropolitan area.

Probably more of a supply/distribution issue than anything else.

The only way I was able to try it was because she left a few bottles of the No. 6 with Ledger's in Berkeley and at a couple bars around town.

Their Number 11 and Aquavit do sound pretty intriguing.

~Erik

Erik is mostly right, although we do ship the occasional case to Iowa and Pennsylvania (we're set up for special orders there). I will see if I can find anything out about Oregon's rules, maybe we could be listed as a special order or something. We don't think we're quite ready to tackle the whole market yet! And I'll see if I can't get another aquavit sample on its way - I was sorry to hear it broke!

Erik, you may be able to find our Aquavit at Alembic, they had some when I was there last, and Ledger's actually had some too, at one time anyway.

And thank you all for including our gins on your list of desired spirits - its a great compliment.

How does the Pearl store do that? Liquor, wine and beer in the same store? In some cases, it's even on the same shelf. Staff member told me they were licensed that way and I have no reason to doubt him, except . . . the OLCC? Really?

What do other liquor store franchisees have to say about that?

The Rhum Clément Créole Shrubb (Liqueur d'Orange) has been sighted at the SE 11th Ave Store, for $32.

Just got back from 11th Ave Liquors and they now have a bunch of goodies as 'special listings':

Rhum Clément Homère $100
Rhum Clément VSOP $37
Rhum Clément Créole Shrubb (Liqueur d'Orange) $32
Barbancourt 3 star $19 (reg. listing)
Barbancourt 5 star $20
Barbancourt 15 yr $44
Prichards' Crystal rum $30
Prichards' Fine rum $40 (reg. listing)
Prichards' Cranberry rum $30
D'Aristi white and añejo rum $16
D'Aristi rum 10 yr $32

I'm unfamiliar with D'Aristi, they appear to be cheap Mexican rums. I didn't look anywhere but the rum section (well, Old Overholt is $14 this month :-) ), so they likely have others.

Two months back, Jeffmorgen:

Just goes to show that working in Eugene will teach you nothing about the current catalog.

Do you guys have Herbsaint?

No, I don't think we can get it.

Can you do a special order for me?

I guess. But we don't really have room for it. You might need to order a case, and it'll take up to six months.

Never mind. Just give me a Pernod.

It's listed here: http://www.olcc.state.or.us/pdfs/special_order_item_list.pdf

Item 8443B and they have 132 bottles. Bad news is that, yes, you need to order a case. Which is a hell of a lot of Sazeracs.

Uptown is where I found it and I've mentioned it to Jeffrey previously. He just needs to get up to Portland more often.

So, the only liquor store that reliably carried Rittenhouse Rye (down in Sellwood neighborhood) can't get any. I blame Morgenthaler and the rest of the selfish bartenders using it for Manhattans. Thanks a bunch!

The good news is that the liquor store had a few bottles of Stranahans whiskey and since Lance has been raving about it on his blog, I thought I'd mention it. At nearly $60, it's not something that will be flying out the door but I don't think the store got more than a few bottles.

Ah, a source for Stranahans huh? You just made my day. Hey, I think we should work on getting Kazkar Feni into Oregon. I'm really intrigued by this stuff from India. I'm really excited about how mixable it is. It does smell like a pair of old sweatsocks, but then so do some of the better French cheeses. I should have a post up with a feni based cocktail sometime today.

You used Rittenhouse for bitters? For shame Sylvan, for shame! :) I think I'll pour myself a Rittenhouse manhattan before I head downtown to show off some new bitters that just came in. I could probably spare enough to pour you one too Sylvan.

Young's Columbia assures me there's a palette coming in. I promise.

Umm, I totally believe you and all, but what about the law saying only the OLCC can distribute beverage alcohol over 21%? Columbia is a beer and wine (and natural beverage!) distributor. How does that work, and more importantly, where/how does a regular guy/gal get themselves a bottle?

And while were on the subject of our fair state's liquor laws, does anyone know anything about the suspension of the restrictions on shipping alcohol to Oregon residents? Does this mean it is legal (until June 28) to mail order spirits? There's a temporary bit about shipping within and out of Oregon, but no mention of shipping into the state.

http://www.oregon.gov/OLCC/laws_and_rules.shtml

I just hit Rosetown liquor just by where Sandy and Fremont meet, what a bunch of gems in there. Don Q and Ron Barrilito (non-Bacardi Puerto Ricans) and about a dozen of the pyrat cask 1623 for cheap as I ever seen it at $269.

Not a drop of Martinique in the house though. If someone slips on a case of St James, please do tell.