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There’s just enough of the familiar at Copper & Kings to make its originality shine all the brighter. Glossy copper stills, barrel-laden ricks and chicly branded bottles suggest a milieu often associated with Kentucky. But the distilled, aged and packaged nectar produced at the Louisville distillery isn’t our state’s signature spirit. The eight employees of Copper & Kings aim to revive interest in brandy, a beverage with origins predating those of bourbon.
The vibe of the new distillery, which announced its official opening in late October, is the opposite of the stodgy, smoking-jacket-and-cravat-wearing impression that one may associate with brandy drinkers. “You will not find a brandy snifter here,” says Ron Jasin, the company’s creative director. What you will find is a striking, industrial-modern facility that combines artistically rendered architectural form with spirit-making function. The main entrance includes storage containers that have been turned into a visitor check-in area, a gift shop, restrooms and a catering kitchen. Just beyond is a 16,000-square-foot courtyard built with community celebrations in mind.
Inside, three alembic pot stills, manufactured by nearby Vendome Copper & Brassworks, dominate the production area. “We’re really going for big, bold, robust flavor,” says distiller Alan Bishop. He explains that brandy is made by distilling wine, and he introduces the stills, each named for Bob Dylan songs. There’s the 1,000-gallon Isis, best for, Alan tells us, creating the brandies that will be barrel-aged. Magdalena holds 750 gallons and is suited for distilling the clear, unaged, “immature” brandies; and 50-gallon “baby” Sara is at the ready for “experiments.”
Alan and head distiller Brandon O’Daniel typically use three grape varietals—colombard, muscat and chenin blanc—to create their brandies, but, Alan tells us, they’ve been “playing around with using Kentucky grapes, including making a vidal [blanc] brandy” and have distilled an apple brandy for release next fall. Part of the company’s experimental, decidedly rock ’n’ roll approach to booze-crafting is evident in its most recent release: Absinthe Blanche, a muscat brandy infused with botanicals, including wormwood, anise and fennel.
But why brandy? Why absinthe? “Joe talks a lot about finding the gaps in the market. This is a gap in the market,” Ron answers, referencing Joe Heron, co-founder—along with his wife, Lesley—of Copper & Kings American Brandy Company. Having previous beverage industry success—including Crispin hard cider, which the couple sold two years ago to MillerCoors—the South African-born entrepreneurs decided to set up their new venture’s shop where they’d have access to a wealth of distilling-industry knowledge. (Copper & Kings is a member of the Kentucky Distillers Association.)
The team at Copper & Kings is filling that “gap in the market,” both by crafting bold, unique products and by infusing shots of ingenuity into Kentucky’s spirits industry. “There’s creativity from top to bottom,” Ron says.
Taste
Copper & Kings leverages the mixology expertise of what the company refers to as “Black Irish Elvis,” a “band” of five bartenders from some of Louisville’s most lauded restaurants, to create a roster of cocktail recipes that highlight its brandies and absinthe. The small-batch spirits, which are free of added sugar, colorants and artificial flavors, also can be enjoyed straight, on the rocks, or with a splash of water. Copper & Kings products are available at retail locations throughout Kentucky and six other states.
Craft Distilled Brandy — Copper & Kings’ cellar is packed with brandies aging in barrels previously used for bourbon, tequila, sherry and cognac, as well as barrels made from French oak and even juniper. These brandies are sonic aged—meaning music is played in the cellar to encourage flavor development (no kidding!). “It [the music] vibrates the liquid and helps move it around,” says distiller Alan Bishop. The booze “listens” to a variety of tunes—“mostly American music,” according to Alan.
However, since traditional brandy must be aged a minimum of two years and Copper & Kings began distilling and bottling just this spring, they custom blended already-aged stock and further aged it in bourbon barrels and new American oak barrels to create the only aged spirit currently available for purchase and one the distiller says it is “proud to call our own.” $34.99
Immature Brandy — “It’s new,” says creative director Ron Jasin of the unaged, twice-distilled brandy. “This doesn’t fall close to anything people are used to.” This offering is startling (in a good way) in its uniqueness, with crisp, floral notes that give way to hints of citrus and grape, and has a velvety finish. $31.99
Absinthe Blanche — Don’t let absinthe’s undeserved reputation as the catalyst for psychoactive calamity keep you from giving this bold beverage a try. “It was one of those urban myths,” assures Ron. A pleasantly robust essence of licorice and a perfect marriage of sweet and spicy flavors give this drink a huge wow factor. $54.99