All of the products from Roundhouse Spirits live up to the distillery’s motto: “Handcrafted spirits of uncommon character.” Head distiller Ted Palmer doesn’t let convention dictate what he does, and it shows in his unique and successful spirits. “One of the things I’ve been known for the past 20 years is innovation,” Palmer says, and being a micro-distillery gives him the freedom to do just that. “Craft can be new and different, or it can be very, very old school but people have forgotten about it.”

Once you try Roundhouse Spirits gin, you’re not likely to forget it.

Don’t expect a juniper punch in the mouth with this gin. Roundhouse Gin is made in the New Western style, which means the flavor is more balanced between juniper and other botanicals. The distiller uses traditional gin botanicals — all organic — to give this spirit strength of character, then adds sencha green tea, lavender, hibiscus and chamomile blossoms for a softer, floral flavor.

Morgul-Bismarck Cocktail

2 ounces Roundhouse Gin
3/4 ounces St. Germain
2 lime wedges
2 slices of cucumber
Pinch of sugar

Muddle cucumber, lime and sugar in a shaker tin, fill tin with ice and add remaining ingredients shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with slice of cucumber or lime wheel. (Recipe from Roundhouse Spirits)

“It’s my regular Roundhouse Gin, and I took that and put it into barrels and aged it,” explains Roundhouse distiller Ted Palmer. “A lot of my partners said, ‘No no don’t do that. Nobody’s ever heard of such a thing. Who’s gonna buy it?’ Well it’s pretty popular, let me tell ya.”

After sitting in a new American oak barrel for at least 6 months, the gin develops a caramel flavor and sweetness. Palmer tells us it also brings out the orange in the gin, and adds a hint of cinnamon. “There's no cinnamon in the recipe. It's just the chemistry that goes on in that barrel,” he says.

Aging typically adds a mellow richness to a spirit. In the case of Imperial Gin, the aging process also imparts extra flavors like cinnamon.

Imperial Cocktail

2 ounce Roundhouse Imperial Gin
1 ounce Boissiere Sweet Vermouth
Dash of Orange Bitters
Garnish with a cherry

Stir well over ice and strain into a martini glass. (Recipe from Evan Faber)

In Italy, a caffè corretto is a shot of espresso “corrected” with a shot of liquor like grappa or brandy. Roundhouse Spirits, inspired by this Italian eye-opener, created its Corretto Coffee Liqueur. They start with free-trade coffee beans, then add whole vanilla beans, and a touch of sweetness. It’s less sugary than other coffee liqueurs on the market, which means the pure coffee and vanilla flavors really shine through.

Black Hot Maria

2 ounces of Roundhouse Corretto Coffee Liqueur
2 ounces of silver rum
4 ounces of fresh black coffee (hot)
2 teaspoons of powdered sugar

Stir ingredients together in a coffee mug and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. (Recipe from pouredpure.com)

Or use it in a White Russian.

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