I spent far too much time in the car this summer with my husband. I don’t make a good passenger. I’m prone to panic. “Did you see that car?” “Aren’t you going a little fast?” Or I just slam the fake brakes on the passenger’s side and curse. It makes for some tense moments. So to save my marriage, I decided I would explore places closer to home. My first trip was to New Haven, Missouri, which is about 45 minutes from St. Louis on Highway 100, just west of Washington and east of Hermann. New Haven has the perfect amount of charm, but more important, it has its very own distillery!
I’ve always thought Missourians have a weird relationship with their rivers. The only time we talk about them is when they flood or when we shake our heads at development in a flood plain. (Nobody, I mean nobody, better ever suggest the outlet malls weren’t a necessary use of the land … I digress.) We don’t spend much time exploring the rivers or the small towns along them, which often are filled with amazing history and unique businesses. The small cities along the Missouri River are starting to band together to boost both commerce and conservation, and New Haven is one of many cities going through a revitalization. Over the past five years, the downtown area, which was once pretty empty, is now filled with quaint shops, a fabulous pizza joint, a one-of-a-kind glass blowing studio and a ukulele-making company.
I must admit, though, the highlight of my mini vacation was a visit to the Pinckney Bend Distillery, which makes vodka, gin, whiskey from heirloom corn, along with its very own tonic syrup and offers tastings each day. Don’t expect anything fancy, but do expect a fun and unique experience for just $5! You can choose a tasting of all whiskeys or a tasting of all their other spirits. I opted for tasting ‘all other:’ a little bit of vodka, gin and corn whiskey finished off with a gin and tonic. I learned all about the process of making the spirits and got a tour of the facility, which is about the size of a large garage. It was unlike any tasting I ever attended. I love wine tastings, but I have always found them to be a little pretentious. Most likely because I can never taste the subtle hints of coriander or lavender or whatever. No pretending here: this was just drinking. Mind you, these spirits have won international awards and are lovingly hand-crafted in small batches, but the experience itself was like being at a small bar talking to the bartender about his favorite cocktails.
Need more reasons to go to New Haven? Try the upcoming Fire Fest, Nov. 7. Besides featuring normal festival activities, they will have glass blowing, blacksmithing (whatever that means), and candle and pottery making. But the best thing is they will fire a cannon every hour on the hour. Where else can you go to drink a little whiskey, eat a hot dog and see a cannon being fired?
[Email patty at phannum@townandstyle.com.]
