By Bob Audette, Vermont Country Magazine.
MONTPELIER — Caledonia Spirits, the makers of Barr Hill Gin, have lovers of the juniper-based spirit buzzing with delight with the help of honey bees that could be flying around your neighborhood right now.
“We were co-founded in Hardwick by a beekeeper, Todd Hardie, and a fermentation specialist and homebrew store owner, Ryan Christiansen,” said Patrick Amice, director of hospitality at Caledonia Spirits in Montpelier. “Todd wanted to connect cocktail culture with agriculture and he wanted to do it with honey or pollinators because of how important they are in the food system.”
Partnering with Christiansen in 2011, Hardie created Barr Hill Gin, made with hand-crushed juniper berries, finished with raw local honey.
“Neutral-grain spirits are distilled with juniper in the distillery in Montpelier, with no other botanicals,” said Amice. “We then add the honey when we are completely done with the process. The honey is never heated, cooked, or caramelized so the botanical structure remains. It’s juniper forward, with bright citrus and pine and the honey balances it perfectly with these soft, wildflower aromas.”
Amice was introduced to Barr Hill Gin as a spirits manager in a wine shop in Princeton, N.J.
“It was a perfect fit for the small-spirits section of our shop.”
Amice became such a fan of Caledonia Spirits and the bar in Montpelier that he moved to work there four years ago.
“We have a great crowd of long-time supporters from a lot of the surrounding towns,” said Amice. “And we get quite a lot of visitors in the summer. A lot of people who are coming here for vacation already know the brand. We have this brand that they have already sipped. They can come tour the facility, pretty much anytime, and get a cocktail and food.”
Caledonia Spirits hosts a live music series during the summer and does special pop-ups throughout the year, such as holiday Ginter Wonderland and a maple festival.
“No matter what time of the year they visit, there is a lot of fun stuff to do here at Barr Hill,” said Amice. “You might even catch a maple syrup chugging contest.”
Caledonia Spirits also hosts workshops and tastings throughout the year, which include cocktail lessons, Whiskey Wednesdays to learn about their newest release, Phyllis Rye Whiskey, and regular “Meet the Maker” get-togethers with local artisans and producers. In the winter, it plays host to the Montpelier Winter Farmers’ Market.
While Barr Hill Gin is their “flagship,” said Amice, they also make a barrel-aged version called Tom Cat Gin and a vodka made 100 percent from raw local honey.
“New to us is a whiskey named Phyllis. It’s named after our biggest still and Ryan’s grandmother.”
The whiskey is made from 100-percent Vermont-grown grains and contains 84 percent rye, all from co-founder Todd’s farm, Thornhill Farm, in Greensboro and 16 percent local barley.
Caledonia Spirits seats 100 people, indoors and outdoors, and has a full-service bar, where folks can try out a specialty cocktail, such as Barr Hill Penicillin, Smoked Maple Old Fashioned, Swampwater, and the Meow Tai.
Pairing the craft liquor with food is under the purview of Chef Brandon Arms, who prepares “locally inspired, vermont style tapas” made with local produce, fruit and eggs and dairy products.
Menu items include, depending on the season, a mushroom crostini, crispy potatoes with garlic lemon aioli, hummus, maple-roasted carrots, corn bisque, and beet salad.
Caledonia Spirits does what it does so well it was named one of five national finalists in the 2024 James Beard Awards in the outstanding bar category.
“Being one of only two distilleries recognized is a testament to what is so amazing about our team,” said Amice. “While other bars have every ingredient at their disposal, we get to really focus on just a few world-class spirits that are made here in Vermont.”
Caledonia Spirits, which conducts tours of the distillery most anytime it’s open, also has a retail section where visitors can find spirits distilled on site, goods from local purveyors, apparel, glassware, shakers and of course, honey.
Bob Audette a cranky old white guy, is experiencing the world anew under the tutelage of an 11-year-old forest sprite. He’s been writing for the Brattleboro Reformer for nearly two decades.
