"The martini: the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet."
-- H.L. Mencken
I was reminded of this when I visited Beach Time Distilling. While making or producing alcohol is not something that I foresee spending any amount of time on, the owner of BTD, Greg Christmas, is so passionate about what he does that I found myself entranced for the ninety minutes I spent with him.
I registered online for a tour of the distillery. As I pulled up, I was a bit taken aback as the sign made it very clear that the tasting room does not open until 12:00, but my tour was at 11:00. Deciding not to panic, I stood outside for a minute until Greg spotted me. I was warmly welcomed in.
BTD distills all kinds of alcohol, primarily rum but expanding into vodka, gin, and whisky. In addition, Greg cans cocktails such as G&Ts, Black Russians, and Volcanos. The cans mean that they can safely be taken onto the beach and drunk without fear of being scolded by lifeguards for having glass on the beach.
In a sheer stoke of luck, I was the only one scheduled for the tour so I had a one-on-one experience. For an hour, Greg walked me through the process, let me ask all kinds of questions, showed me samples of the various stages of distillation, and let me help in the canning process. Listening to Greg talk about the choices he has made in terms of taste and what he produces was fascinating.
Included in the tour is a tasting. I was a bit taken aback at the offer of eight samples as I had to drive and meet a friend for lunch. I had visions of having to sleep off the afternoon in the back room somewhere! Luckily, the tastes are very, very small and all eight together are probably the equivalent of a single cocktail.
The eight samples I tried:
Beach Java Rum: A rum with a blend of coffee beans from a local coffee house in Lewes. I can't begin to tell you how much I loved this. I am not a rum person, but the coffee flavor made this taste almost like a liqueur. I bought a bottle to sip on during the coming months.
Some Beach Whiskey: BTD's take on a bourbon. I found it very flavorful and easy to drink. This would be a very nice sipping bourbon for a quiet afternoon.
Beach Fire Spiced Rum: A really interesting take on spiced rum. I enjoyed the flavor and imagine that someone with more imagination than I could concoct some amazing cocktails from it.
Beach Gold Rum: A very nice dark rum. Not being a huge fan of rum (that is a story for another day), I approached this carefully. I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle flavors and the smoothness of the taste, but I would not rush out to drink more of it.
Spirit of the Juiceman Whiskey: While I appreciate how this is made and the imagination it took to come up with it (the full description is in the photo), I didn't love it. I prefer smokier, peatier whiskeys. The ones that ensure you are aware of what it is that you are drinking.
Beach Fin Gin: My favorite cocktail is a bone dry gin martini. I was very excited to taste this gin as I had heard great things about it from a friend who is also a bit of a gin snob. I enjoyed it, but found myself skeptical about how it would taste as a martini. The flavor just didn't work for me as well as some others that I have tasted.
Beach Town Silver Rum: This is a fairly standard rum. I didn't dislike it, but as rum is not my first choice, this would not be either.
Slack Tide Vodka: You know why there are so many flavored vodkas out there? Because the stuff itself does not have much and it needs a bit of a boost. This was a perfectly fine vodka, but like so many others before it, there is not much to it.
Currently, Greg is not selling his goods to bars or restaurants, so you need to go to the distillery to taste and/or buy anything.
Overall, I was incredibly impressed with both the quantity and quality of drinks coming out this small distillery. It's always a good day when I find a new drink to love and when I get to listen to someone wax poetic about what they do for a living.
Logistics: On the website, there is a page to sign up for the tour. I recommend doing this as BTD is a relatively small space, so Greg only takes six at a time maximum. The tour includes a tasting, so it is also cost efficient to take the tour.
If you decide to do more than the basic tasting, please ride share or designate a driver. Remember that you are drinking straight alcohol.
The entrance is to the left of the entrance to Old World Breads which has better signage. The parking lot is around the back of the building. Allow between ninety minutes and two hours for the full tour and the tasting.
Beach Time Distilling
32191 Nassau Road, Lewes, Delaware
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