We want to come clean with you, so we’re putting it out there now: we really hated grappa. We are the sort that will try anything once, but when that thing is grappa, had the alcoholic burn of say, jet fuel, and was a tasteless, stinging, unpleasant dram, be sure that we aren’t up for seconds. It’s the work of the Italians, and hey, we love what you did with wine, but maybe you should have stopped there?

This was one of the first concerns voiced when we arrived at the Soft Tail Spirits tasting room. We had been invited out to try their award winning grappa and vodka, graciously accepted the invitation, and then downed a huge pasta lunch in preparation for the burn. The first thing that our host, Jeremy, asked in the tasting room was “do you actually like grappa?” What is the appropriate answer when you hate it? We were as honest as we could be without being rude, to which he smiled and said “I bet we change your mind.”

As he began to pour, the questions began. We knew grappa was Italian, and that it’s made by distilling the leftovers from wine production (called pomace). Is it regulated here in the U.S.? Are there distillation rules like there are with bourbon? Is yours made in an Italian style? He handed me my first taste, the 2008 Blanco and told me (to my surprise) that Grappa isn’t regulated in Italy, that unlike wine it has no denominazione, no rules. It’s a bit more like limoncello as it’s made in house. The houses that produce wine also make a grappa, and sometimes it’s great. More often, it’s not. The great ones don’t always make it over the pond, and the ones that do are pricey. So, as we sipped our Blanco and found ourselves smiling, Jeremy explained the first reason why we will probably like this grappa over others we’ve tried: it’s not from Italy.

We moved on to the 2008 Giallo, which is very reminiscent of a light Scotch. The Giallo has been aged in oak, which explains the color and flavor character. It’s quite nice, really, and as we dig in we ask the obvious: why distill grappa? It’s not a ubiquitous spirit, and it’s a tough sell to people like us who have run into the bad stuff first. It appears that Dennis (one of the owners of the business, the other is Larry) came back from Italy after trying some particularly good grappa and thought, hey, I should do that. After all, we are in one of the biggest viticultural areas in the country. The new craft distilling laws made it a no-brainer: what’s more of a Washington product than wine? And with all that wine being made, there’s plenty of pomace around just waiting to be distilled.

By the time we moved onto the 2008 Reserve and the 2009 Sangiovese, Nic had joined us. Nic was on his way to dental school when he fell into the Grappa business, and he hasn’t looked back. Now the lead distiller,  he gave us the tour of the facility and explained a few of the differences between distilling Grappa and, say, vodka. Did we mention Soft Tail has a Vodka? They distill it from Washington apples instead of grain (what most use) and it took bronze at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition this year. To add to the accolades, the 2009 Sangiovese Grappa took home silver this year as well. Considering that they have only been operating since 2008, the future is lookin’ pretty bright. By far our favorite was the 2009 Cabernet (which we were mystified to find has no medal yet), and it’s the grappa in the collection that is truest to the Italian form of the spirit. It’s almost like drinking a Cab, but one that has been distilled (no pun intended) down to the heart of it, with a bit of chocolate, sweetness and smoke.

Our first love is cocktails so we had to ask… can you mix it? Turns out, grappa makes an interesting cocktail as well. After falling off the radar for a few years in the bar industry, it’s making a bit of a comeback. Music to Soft Tail’s ears, right? There are recipes for everything from coffee drinks to sours involving grappa. While it’s not the blank slate that vodka is, or the veteran ingredient gin is when mixed, it has a unique flavor profile and it’s just a matter of time and experimentation before bartenders will have a few cocktails up their sleeves. Already you can find Soft Tail’s grappa in Seattle area restaurants and bars and in the liquor store… world domination to follow soon.

So there you have it. Soft Tail Spirits is four guys who love grappa and love what they do. So if you’re out in Woodinville and need a break from the wine, stop by the tasting room and give it a try. We think they will change your mind, too.

grappa