Copperworks Distilling Co. in downtown Seattle has released a new barrel-finished gin just in time for the holiday season. It is called Kina Tonic Cask Gin, and it is the first gin of its kind the distillery has put out since 2023. For anyone who likes to sip spirits slowly and talk about them afterward, it is an interesting story with a few unusual twists.
A Barrel With a Long History
Most barrel-aged spirits come out of a barrel that held one thing before. This one held two. The oak was first used to age Kentucky bourbon. After the bourbon was emptied out, the barrel was filled with Bradley’s Kina Tonic, a Seattle-made tonic that is brewed by hand from cinchona bark, orange oil and spices.
Once the barrel had soaked up the bourbon and the tonic, Copperworks filled it with its Small Batch Gin. The gin rested inside for four months. The barrel gave up around 250 bottles, which is not much. Each bottle holds 700 milliliters, and the gin is bottled at 50 percent alcohol by volume, or 100 proof.
The gin comes out of the barrel with a pale yellow color, a clear sign that the wood had a hand in the finished product.
What It Smells and Tastes Like
The distillery’s tasting notes describe a gin with a lot going on. The first scents are herbal and resinous, the kind of piney, green aroma many people expect from gin. Softer notes follow close behind, including lemon meringue, cinnamon sticks, cedar and vanilla.
On the tongue, the gin has an earthy warmth. The distillery lists sugared oak, baking spice, creamsicle and black pepper, with the pepper easing off as the drink moves toward the finish. What lingers afterward is sweet mint, cinchona bark and cinnamon, mixed with a note of sweet lemon candy.
The distillery sums it up as an expressive gin and tonic reduction. In plain terms, it tastes a bit like a gin and tonic that has been boiled down and concentrated, which fits, since the barrel once held tonic.
Three Gins From the Archive
Along with the new release, Copperworks has pulled three older gins out of its archive. Over the years, the distillery has finished its gin in a number of different casks, and these three are the ones being offered now. Only 12 bottles of each are available.
DeLille Chaleur Blanc Cask Gin
This one was made with DeLille Cellars for The Willows Lodge. It spent more than eight months in a barrel that had held Chaleur Blanc, a white wine from DeLille. The tasting notes list grape must, vanilla paste, white pepper, orange marmalade, Lemonheads candy and rhubarb pie.
Schilling Chai Cider Cask Gin
This gin came out of a conversation at an event with Schilling Cider. It rested for almost seven months in a cask that had held Schilling’s Chaider, a chai cider. The distillery calls it a good pour for fall, with Copperworks Gin, oak, apple cider and the warm spices of chai all in the mix.
Mezcal Cask Gin
Copperworks made this gin back in its early days, before the distillery had released any whiskey. Mezcal is one of the distillers’ favorite spirits, so they tracked down a mezcal cask and left the gin inside for about five months. The tasting notes point to earthy, slightly sweet flavors with a spicy finish, along with tropical fruit and brown sugar. The barrel adds character without a heavy smoky taste.
How a Beer Brewer’s Idea Became a Distillery
Copperworks opened in 2013 and sits in the busy waterfront tourist district of downtown Seattle. The space includes a tasting room and a gift shop. It was started by two co-owners and distillers, Jason Parker and Micah Nutt. Both are craft brewers with more than 30 years in the alcohol business.
The two built the distillery around one question: “How would spirits taste if they were distilled from superior craft beer (without the hops) instead of the typical methods or ingredients of conventional distilleries?”
The answer turned out to be American Single Malt Whiskey, which Copperworks helped pioneer. The category is growing fast and has drawn plenty of interest around the country and overseas. The distillery makes its whiskey, its series of gins and its vodka all from malted barley. Everything is distilled in traditional copper stills made in Scotland, each one built for a particular spirit.
Awards and Recognition
The distillery has picked up a good number of honors over the years. The American Distilling Institute named Copperworks its 2018 Distillery of the Year. Its whiskey and gin have won Double-Gold medals and have scored between 94 and 96 points in well-known spirits competitions. In 2023, readers voted it Best Distillery in the Best In The PNW contest presented by The Seattle Times.
Visiting the Distillery
Copperworks spirits show up on the shelves of bars, restaurants and retail stores around Washington State. The distillery also runs tastings, tours and other events built around learning about fine distilled spirits. One of the more popular offerings is a hands-on blending workshop for single malt whiskey, where guests get to work with the spirit themselves.
For anyone curious about where Copperworks pours can be found around the state, or about the distillery’s schedule of events, details are posted on the Copperworks website at copperworksdistilling.com.
Why It Matters
Small, limited releases like this one show what a craft distillery can do when it has room to experiment. A barrel that held bourbon and then tonic is not something a big producer is likely to bother with. With only about 250 bottles in the run and just 12 of each archive gin, these releases are more of a snapshot of what one Seattle distillery has been up to than a mass-market product. For fans of gin, whiskey or just a good story about how a drink gets made, it is worth knowing about.
