Old Ballard Liquor Co. grand opening coming soon

This summer, the Old Ballard Liquor Co. busted in on the scene of the Ballard brewery empire, becoming the first craft distillery in the area. Now, after a few months of getting permitting squared away and product ready to sell, owner Lexi is throwing a grand opening party to let the public taste the craft liquors she’s been working hard to create. The party is on Wednesday Oct. 30 at Bad Alberts Tap & Grill (5100 Ballard Ave).

“Enjoy tasting flights of seasonal vodkas and Cherry Bounce, newly designed cocktails make with with liquors from many local distilleries, live music and meet the proprietor: the gregarious, outspoken and often profane Lexi,” the event information reads.

“This industrial strength opening will be held at Bad Albert’s Tap and Grill, a neighborhood institution preserving the unpretentious blue collar culture of industrial Old Ballard.” The event is also something of a Halloween party; they encourage costumes (or show up in your grimy metal working/deckhand clothes, they say). To learn more about the grand opening, click here for the company’s Facebook page.

The Old Ballard Liquor Co.’s home is just in the shadow of the Ballard Bridge, at 4421 Shilshole Ave. The whole distillery process is low-tech and Lexi is the main driving force behind the several craft liquors including the Cherry Bounce and her no-frills Seasonal Well Vodka. Cherry Bounce is an aged sour-cherry liqueur based on a recipe by Martha Washington. Lexi says the Old Ballard Liquor Co. is the only distillery in the country that makes an authentic Cherry Bounce.

The vodka is produced from seasonal fruits and vegetables instead of grains, and comes from farmers primarily in the Skagit Valley. It’s not a flavored vodka, rather, it’s regular vodka make from local seasonal ingredients. Lexi calls it a summer vodka, made from berries and fruits as opposed to winter vodkas, which come from tubers and gourds.

The grand opening party will feature four different distilled vodkas: Sour Cherry, Razzleberry (mixed berry), Corn, and the oh-so-seasonal Pumpkin and Brown Sugar. The first round of liquors will be available in limited supply from the distillery, independent liquor stores, Tom Douglas restaurants, the Columbia Tower Center Club, Von’s 1000 spirits, Bad Albert’s, and Zayda Buddy’s.

The event at Bad Albert’s is 21 and over, and is from 4 to 10 p.m. To RSVP, click here for the Facebook event page.