Batch 206 Distillery

Small batch artisan spirits

Northwesterners love to support our own. That may be one reason why Batch 206 spirits have become so popular. We're thinking it might have something to do with how great they taste. With their Counter Gin, a barrel-rested version of their gin, Batch 206 Vodka, Mad Mint Vodka, the Moonshine series, the Barrel Raider bourbon series, and their own bourbon aging in barrels now, they've got it covered.

Batch 206 began life in Oregon at House Spirits in 2009. "We wanted to know what a small craft distillery could do," says owner Jeff Steichen. "We formulated our gin and vodka with them and marketed the brands for about two years to see if it would work. We got a great reception, so we started searching for a building and found this space. It's perfect for what we need: an urban footprint, front and back loading doors, parking for customers, close to our supporters. Since we self-distribute, it's important that we deliver quickly." It also has space for their tasting bar (built from pipes they kept running into, along with a 1932 foot rail from the Showbox), quarterly distillery classes, mixology classes, and corporate/private events.

Once settled, they took over production of gin and vodka in 2012 from House Spirits, adding the Mad Mint Vodka and the Moonshine series in 2013. Moonshine includes a plain version, apple pie, cherry pie, and peach pie. "We had Tim and Tickle from the 'Moonshiners' on Discovery come out and make our first batch with us. Great guys and very open with their methods. It was quite a weekend. Our main thrust is whiskey, so it's been good and bad that Moonshine has taken off so well. It's great that it's selling, but we've syphoned off our beautiful whiskey now vs. aging it. But we have more coming."

Their Barrel Raider whiskey series is about 'found' whiskey. "About 92% of whiskey on the market is not made in independent distilleries. We've sourced a great 7-year-old Tennessee whisky. It's not made by us; we're honest about that. This is Series 1 of Barrel Raider. Our next found whiskey could be something entirely different. We look around the world for sources of nice whiskey. It's been successful for us." Even when their own bourbon is ready for market in late 2014/early 2015, they'll continue the Barrel Raider series. "The art of whiskey is in the blending," explains Jeff. "We'll see what ours is like and decide then whether we'll keep it as is (51% corn in New American oak barrels to keep the bourbon designation and the rest barley), or see if we want to add some rye."

Jeff Steichen and Daleen Esterhuizen

Counter Gin is American vs. London Dry. "With American gin, you can dial back the juniper," says Jeff. "Once done, the other botanicals come out. We use verbena, tarragon, cucumber, lavender, orris root, and two types of citrus. It was just awarded 91 points by Wine Enthusiast." 'Old Tom' gin is making a comeback with different versions from various distilleries. England used to ship gin all over the world--it's no fun to conquer the world if you don't have gin to enjoy. Perhaps better than the discovery of new worlds was how great gin is after it's been in a barrel for awhile. Batch 206's 'Old Tom' is barrel rested in Hungarian oak that formerly held Chardonnay, mellowing the botanicals.

While Jeff and his wife Daleen Esterhuizen have kept equipment purchases on the small side (spirits are hand bottled and labeled), they did splurge on a 1000 liter Kothe still, custom made in Germany. "It takes seven craftsman seven months to make the stills. We had it custom made so we can use it for anything we can think of."

Batch 206 makes their mash at Maritime Pacific Brewing Company in Ballard. "They have big equipment and big men," laughs Jeff. "One day will provide us mash for a week. When we're done with our barrels, Maritime Pacific wants them to make a whiskey-aged porter. If wineries have a surplus or something off-brand, we can turn it into brandy. Fruit brandy can be used by cider makers to up the alcohol content in ciders. Our spent botanicals still have a lot to offer even after we've taken what we need. Seattle Cider Company uses ours for their botanical cider. This will all continue to grow."

Jeff's background is in hospitality and music. He owned two Casa U-Betcha's in Oregon and one in Seattle. He and his brother owned a hotel in Eugene. "And my dad owned a late-stage alcoholic bar in California-so even when I was a kid I was around the retail side of things." He owned the Showbox for 20 years and at concerts, the money makers were the beverages. "So I had a pretty good idea of the demographics: what people like and appreciate, price points, distribution. The Showbox was amazing, but I could see more consolidation coming in the industry. We were doing upwards of 250 concerts a year. I'd come out of the hotel/restaurant business into music, and I really wanted to know what a day-walker schedule might feel like; I was looking for a kinder, gentler experience. I used to have 158 employees. Now I have five, and I'm married to one of them."

For Jeff, one of the best things about being small craft is that they can take chances and be experimental; no need for focus groups or approvals. This has led to a new idea with the working title 'Batch 206 Brinery.' He and Kelly Gaddis are experimenting with barreled maple syrup, bread and butter pickles and sauerkraut, whiskey soaked cherries. "We'd like to eventually have a five-item line of pickles, and pickled veggies and fruits, all around barrel aging. We're probably 4-5 months away from actual production."

As long as Jeff and crew are having fun, we'll be sipping and tasting some very interesting concoctions.

Connie Adams/August-September 2014

Batch 206 Distillery
1417 Elliott Ave W
Seattle, WA 98119
206-216-2803
www.batch206.com