Bigfork, Montana, Part 2

After having a Huckleberry Fizz at The Raven on the shores of Flathead Lake in northern Montana, it piqued our interest in the gin used in the drink: Whistling Andy’s Pink Peppercorn & Pear Gin. We found Whistling Andy’s in a small, mostly non-descript distillery storefront only five miles north of The Raven in Bigfork itself.

Whistling Andy’s look maybe be low-key, but its spirits are not. Big flavors abound in its generous four-glass flight of liquor. We snared two flights, one a piece, with seven different kinds of spirits: their typical whiskey, their bourbon, a harvest-select whiskey, their peppercorn & pear gin, their cucumber gin, their hibiscus coconut rum, and their Spirit of Sperry (which, of course, is their huckleberry vodka).

Their whiskeys were young, but very well-crafted; I found the harvest-select whiskey to be a grain flavor that wasn’t my favorite, but I could see how other people would enjoy it. The cucumber gin and coconut rum were fine examples of their kind; both with bold flavor. But the bottles we bought were the peppercorn & pear gin and the Sperry vodka!

I know what you’re thinking- Vodka in the Lounge? Well, this vodka was darn good, imparting a whisper of huckleberry love on each snip. In addition, the vodka’s electric pink color would be a welcome part of any Valentine’s Day couple’s aperitif.

I will leave you a cocktail from Whistling Andy’s distillery bar-

Drink: Bear Bait

Establishment: Whistling Andy

Location: Bigfork, Montana

1 ½ ounces of huckleberry vodka (or another berry vodka you have on hand)

2 bar spoons of huckleberry jam

½ ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice

Soda

Add vodka, jam and lime juice to a shaker with ice, shake until the tin frosts. Pour without straining into an iced Collins glass. Top with soda water.