Drink of the Month: FEW Bourbon Whiskey & the Kindle Fire Cocktail
ABOUT FEW SPIRITS
Our Drink of the Month comes from FEW Spirits, located in Evanston, IL.
Walking into the distillery, a small crowd has excitedly gathered for a tour. The smell in the air is rich with grain – you could be next to a silo. Our tour guide is a shaggy-haired man in a baseball cap and gray hoodie standing behind the small bar and is greeting everyone gregariously as they curiously walk through the door. It turns out that the man giving the tour is Paul Hletko, the owner of F.E.W. Spirits distillery. He’s so casual in worn jeans that it’s surprising to learn that he used to be a lawyer who decided the laws on liquor in Evanston, IL were too archaic for the 21st century and of course, then worked to overturned century-old prohibition laws allowing for the creation of Evanston’s first distillery of grain spirits within its city limits. For over a century, Evanston, home of the Temperance Movement, operated as a dry city. In dire need of liquor laws that weren’t penned the same year as the invention of the band-aid, FEW’s master distiller and owner, Paul Hletko now creates whiskies and gins in small batches right on premise.
Fun Fact: Each FEW spirit has a different corresponding label and color with iconography from the Chicago World’s Fair, hosted in 1893. The bourbon label is a sketching of the Statue of the Republic, a 65-foot female figure on a 35-foot base that greeted guests in the Court of Honor at the Columbian Exposition. At the time, she was the second tallest statue in the country with the Statue of Liberty being the first.
AWARD-WINNING BOURBON WHISKEY
FEW’s unique 93 Proof bourbon utilizes a three-grain mash of 70% Corn, 20% Rye, 10% Malted Barley. This combination balances
the sweet, creaminess of the corn with a spicy rye finish. Aged in brand new, Char Level 3, American White Oak Barrels that are hand made in Minnesota, there are notes of pepper and spice blend with the wood and a touch of malt to create the perfect smooth finish.
FEW prides itself on being a grain-to-glass distillery where everything is mashed, fermented, and distilled on-site in Evanston. Created with only the highest quality of ingredients, FEW Spirits stands out as one of the few truly craft distilleries operating in the U.S. with gold and silver medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, a 93/100 “Exceptional” rating from the Beverage Testing Institute, and the illustrious title of Craft Whiskey of the Year from Whisky Advocate.
THE COCKTAIL
Have a FEW, but imbibe responsibly.
KINDLE FIRE WITH SNOW
2oz FEW Bourbon
1.5oz St. George Pear Liqueur
.75oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5oz Demerara Simple Syrup
1 Eggwhite
Angostura Bitters
Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and “dry shake” (without ice) for 15 seconds. Add ice and shake again for an additional 15-20 seconds. Strain and serve ‘up’ in a coupe style glass. Garnish with 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters.
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