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Galway Spirits Distillery: Temecula’s Newest Craft Distillery a whiskey finish.� This approach to life, Temecula Valley is known as a prealong with his background in sales and mier wine destination, but now it is also marketing, give him the experience for becoming a spirits destination, thanks to promoting Galway Spirits. the recent opening of Galway Spirits And so, this dedicated team started Distillery, a craft, small-batch distillery, collaborating and producing exceptional which produces single batches of high spirits while they set up a tasting room quality vodka, bourbon and rye whiskey. that would be comfortable and We were pleasantly surwelcoming. Brain says that prised when we entered the when guests come into the Galway Spirits building close tasting room, he wants them to Old Town Temecula. Alto feel at home and relaxed, though the location is in an inas if they are sitting on their dustrial park, we felt like we grandparents’ back porch. were meandering into a rural The spirits are served in ranch setting with the rustic attractive bottles (with artistic furnishings, authentic barn labels) that can be repurdoor, and colorful mural of posed. We were so impressed rolling hills. A 1937 Ford sitting with the Galway Spirits’ melin the tasting room adds to the low, distinctive flavors. old country ambiance. Of I am a vodka fan, but I course, the luscious spirits we usually mix my vodka with were about to taste enhanced tonic or juices; however, I was the setting with every sip. blown away by these subtly We were greeted by perflavorful sipping vodkas that sonable Brian Ledford, the have no need for mixers. We tasting room manager, and the tried blood orange flavored talented distillers, Dale and vodka, with crisp citrus and Jackie Peck. They shared a berry tastes; mango vodka bit of the history of Galway which was light and refreshSpirits, which opened last ing; and coffee-flavored vodka summer. Galway Spirits is with luscious chocolate and owned by entrepreneurial caramel tastes that would be businessman, Ken Smith, a perfect as an after-dinner longtime whiskey connoisseur, drink. We also sampled two delicious new vodkas which are being bottled now, inwho for some time had been considering opening a distillery in Temecula. It was forcluding pumpkin spice and peppermint bark—perfect for the holidays. All Galway vodtuitous that he met Dale and Jackie Peck, distillers who were also contemplating openkas are made with grapes, which enhance their natural fruity flavors. ing a distillery in Temecula. The Pecks had their distillery almost ready to go, but they needed additional financial support. Ken Smith was impressed with the distillers’ plans and enthusiastic about supporting their endeavor. The Pecks brought their initial legwork and distilling expertise to the table while Ken was willing to take the financial risk to bring their distillery vision to fruition. It was a match made in distillers’ heaven. The team launching Galway Spirits is ideal. Ken has extensive experience launching new ventures. Dale and Jackie have a long history of distilling in their blood. Dale’s great great grandfather was a distiller in petroleum who had many still patents, while Jackie’s grandfather, a dairy farmer, was a bootlegger who delivered bottles of alcohol along with his milk deliveries during prohibition. Dale also had distilling experience and the know-how needed to launch a distillery. Brian was raised in Tennessee where he says he learned to appreciate “a hard day’s work and family values, sprinkled with a large dose of Southern hospitality with
Next, we moved on to a smooth, spicy rye whiskey and then savored a deep, amber-colored bourbon with hints of orange, caramel and honey. Our son, who lives in Tennessee, is a bourbon buff so we have a bit of experience with good bourbons and we knew right away that this bourbon was exceptional. (Now I know what our son is getting for his next birthday gift. I guarantee that he will love Galway bourbon.)
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Three impressive stills sit behind the tasting room bar. We learned from the distillers that they follow a procedure for distilling spirits that has been around for centuries, but their experience and careful attention lead to extraordinary spirits that you might not find at larger commercial distillers. Dale described the steps they go through to produce their great spirits:
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Mashing: Mixing grains in a water mash and then heating the mixture so that the starch in the grain converts to sugar. Fermenting: The sugar mash is put in a fermenter and yeast is added so that the sugar converts to alcohol, which can take a couple of weeks. There are also laws about producing spirits that must be followed. For instance, to legally be called bourbon, the liquid has to be at least 51 percent corn, be in contact with New American Oak, and be made in the US. The Galway bourbon is about 75 percent corn. Distilling: After fermentation, the liquid is added to the still and alcohol is separated from water to produce high proof spirits. At Galway Spirits, the alcohol produced is very pure because unwanted ingredients are removed. We loved the clean, pure taste of the Galway Spirits. Aging: This % "$ %$ %$ %" %"# "$ %! % !% !%$ "$ process can take as long as the distillers desire. One key to effective distilling is to know how long to age the spirits. Bottling: When the distillers have determined that the alcohol is ready, the spirits are bottled. Dale says “We are continually striving to produce a great product and create new products. We want visitors to enjoy sitting here and savoring our spirits.� Owner Ken Smith is excited about his venture into distilling. He says: “We want to produce distinctive high quality spirits that we serve in a unique, inviting setting that encourages our guests to relax and have fun.� Ken’s focus on having fun is reflected in the many entities now under the umbrella of Galway World, which include Galway Downs, an equestrian events center; Wedgewood Weddings, a beautiful wedding venue; Galway Estates, a 10,000-square foot home that can be rented; expansive grounds that host running events and sports events such as soccer; and even a vintage trailer park with airstream rentals that are perfect for guests who want a true country experience. Other projects are
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planned, such as Galway House in Old Town, a 29-room boutique hotel which will open next year. Plans also include Galway Tavern, featuring Galway Spirits of course, in Old Town. Galway Treehouse, a private lodging facility, will open in a wooded area near Galway Downs very soon. The labels on Galway Spirits bottles sum up the “spirit� of these Galway ventures in the following words: “Standing Traditions, Unyielding Bonds, Family, Nature, and a Celebration of Life.� What better way to celebrate life than with a few sips of an exceptional Galway Spirit? I am already planning to bring friends to Galway Spirits for a few holiday sips. The Galway Spirits tasting room is located at 42065 Zevo Drive, #7, and is open to the public Thursdays and Fridays from 3 pm to 8 pm; Saturdays from 12 pm to 8 pm; and Sundays from 12 pm to 6 pm. Tastings are $15 a person and cocktails available during tours are $6 to $8. Bottles are also for sale. In addition, you can schedule a private tasting and tour (including a signature cocktail) by calling 951-296-6444. Early in December, workshops will start being offered where guests will be able to produce and bottle their own whiskeys. Just look on the distillery’s website for dates of these events. www.galwayspirits.com Photos by Todd Montgomery.