The highlight of our visit to New Deal Distillery open house Saturday was tasting the yet-to-be-released chocolate vodka.  From what we gathered it will be called Mud Puddle, and will be available in spring.  The warm buttery elixir was poured from a masking tape labeled bottle into clear plastic sampling thimbles. It smells of cocoa and is not sweet.  We ran into Markovitch from Tasting & Complaining, who recommends mixing it with New Deal’s searingly hot pepper-infused vodka, Hot Monkey.  A Muddy Monkey perhaps?

Loft Organic Liqueurs also took part in the open house.  New Deal partners with the Emoryville, California based company to produce the first certified organic liqueurs in the U.S.  The real fruit flavored and agave-syrup sweetened liqueurs are limoncello-inspired. My favorite flavor was the Spicy Ginger. The tangerine-cello tasted of real fruit. We also sampled the lemon grass and lavender varieties.

Meat Cheese Bread and Saint Cupcake provided the perfect snacks to accompany our booze foraging.

Related Post: A Tour of Artisan Spirits

Related posts:

1. November 22: Highball Distillery open house
2. December 5: Season’s Eatings at New Deal Distillery
3. Glühwein conditions in Portland
4. Great American Distillers Festival 2009
5. Portland’s Distillery Row gets a website