29 January, 2018 - Wine and Spirits from Washington: Cedergreen Cellars and OOLA Distillery

Slow Living Radio welcomes guests from Washington State - a winemaker and a distiller, both, who in a very short space of time, have become well recognised and awarded.

Kevin Cedergreen, Owner & Winemaker

Cedergreen Cellars

A childhood spent on an Eastern Washington orchard taught Kevin the rhythm of nature and the good things that come from it. Picking and eating truly ripe fresh fruit was just a natural, but it become a passion when he realised how rare that experience was. Harvest was hard work and a great time for all. Cold, crisp fruit with bright flavours; overflowing crates and boxes; crushing and pressing fruit in an old clanking press; catching ice cold juice off the end of the trough and savouring the flavour that, as he describes, would "curl around your tongue and explode through your mouth like spring, summer and fall all at once".

Julie and Kevin make wine that captures that essence of harvest. Awe inspiring fruit handled with care, short hours from vine to the winery, and a light hand, combine to create a wine that shows the very best that the fruit has to offer. Kevin's experience working in Washington state and New Zealand exposed him to different philosophies and realities of place, time and terroir, resulting in an integration of New World styles in one wine, Cedergreen Cellars. Food friendly, fruit forward with bright flavours and respect for the earth it comes from. 

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Kirby Kallas-Lewis

Founder

OOLA Distillery

For OOLA owner and master distiller, Kirby Kallas-Lewis, OOLA is a labor of love, intellectual curiosity and commitment to the neighborhood he has called home for more than two decades.

A former artist and tribal art dealer, Kirby has long been interested in the power that great food, wine, art, cocktails and entertaining have in connecting people to each other and to a place.

Kirby studied the art and science of distilling intensively (one could say he became totally obsessed) for about 3 years prior to jumping in with both feet and creating OOLA Distillery.

About OOLA Distillery

Founded in January of 2010, OOLA Distillery was one of the first distilleries to open in Seattle post-Prohibition. Located in Seattle’s vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood, OOLA produces small, handcrafted batches of premium spirits.

Alongside OOLA Distillery’s production facility is our tasting room with bottles available for purchase. Located adjacent to OOLA is 10 degrees, the only Seattle event space designed by Graham Baba Architects. Initiated and created by dancer and choreographer, KT Niehoff, 10 degrees also serves as the home of KT’s dynamic performance company, Lingo Productions.

Spirits

OOLA Distillery produces award-winning, small, hand-crafted batches of Vodkas, Gins, and Whiskeys. This is the real deal—spirits made with a sense of place and a connection to the people who grew the raw ingredients and the man who coaxed them into their more spirited forms—gins in which you can taste the botanicals, distinctive vodkas, and whiskeys that are flavorful and smooth.

The main OOLA line of spirits includes: Vodka, Citrus Vodka, Rosemary Vodka, Chili Pepper Vodka, Gin, Waitsburg Barrel-Finished Gin, and Waitsburg Bourbon Whiskey (and a rare release of the Cask Strength version of the Waitsburg Bourbon).