Galway Spirits to Lift Your Spirits

by Linda Stewart

As our country shelters in place during this global virus threat, I find it heartening to see so many creative social media posts showcasing quality time with family.  I also see the collective concern for our small businesses, who are trying to navigate these uncharted waters and making accommodations to stay afloat.  Many are now offering home delivery service to provide their product to those in self-isolation. 

California’s Temecula Valley is home to small-batch craft distillery, Galway Spirits.  Founded in the summer of 2018 by Ken Smith with distillers Dale and Jackie Peck at the helm, Galway Spirits is now offering home delivery in the Temecula area for $6.95 (three bottles or less). The vodkas are all $35 per bottle. Gin, bourbon and rye are $45 each.  On-site pick-up by appointment is also available.  Call ahead to place your order for home delivery or to make an appointment for pick-up:  951 296-6444.  They are located at 42065 Zevo Dr. #7, Temecula, CA 92590. 

At this uncertain time, I find myself drawn to comfort food and classic cocktails.  Now, with Galway’s convenient home delivery service, I can continue to make my favorite cocktails. I recently tasted some complimentary samples of these spiritous beverages. 

Galway Spirits Vodka, embracing the French trend, is distilled from grapes.  With delicate fruit notes and a subtle vanilla finish, this smooth vodka makes a marvelous vodka martini.  My personal favorite martini with this vodka is a “dirty” martini, because I like the savory and fruit balance with the addition of a splash of vibrant acidity.  The key to this drink is using a modest amount of olive juice so that the vodka remains the star.

Dirty Martini

2 oz. Galway Spirits Vodka

½ oz. dry Vermouth

1 teaspoon green olive brine juice

Place ingredients in a shaker filled with ice.  Shake for 20 seconds (to let ice crystals develop) and pour into a martini glass.  Garnish with one to three stuffed green olives.  (I prefer green olives stuffed with blue cheese).

Galway’s Blood Orange Vodka can easily be sipped over ice, but its honeyed citrus flavors contrast beautifully with the tartness of cranberry juice, making a splendid cosmopolitan. 

Blood Orange Cosmopolitan

1 ½  oz. Galway Spirits Blood Orange

1 ½  oz. cranberry Juice

3/4 oz. Triple Sec

½  oz. fresh orange juice

Fill a shaker with ice cubes; add all ingredients. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with orange slice.

A lighter version of traditional juniper notes greets you with your first taste of Galway Spirits Gin, then citrus and herbal notes are introduced.  There is a hint of lavender on the finish.  The following refreshing cocktail from Galway Spirits showcases the complex botanicals in this proprietary gin.  (This gin can also be used as the base of the Dirty Martini.)

Cucumber Gin Cooler

2 oz. Galway Gin

2 slices cucumber

Muddle cucumber in a shaker; add gin. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice or one large bourbon ice cube. 

Garnish with a cucumber wheel.

One of the requirements for a bourbon classification and label is that it’s made with at least 51% corn mash.  Galway Spirits distills a “high” bourbon, which means it contains a higher percentage of corn than required.  Galway’s bourbon is made with approximately 75% corn.  This bourbon has a butterscotch nose with honey and citrus flavors, which makes the perfect foundation for my bourbon comfort cocktail, the Old Fashioned.  This simple, yet delightful cocktail is made directly in the serving glass, so no need for a cocktail shaker.

Old Fashioned

1 teaspoon sugar or 1 sugar cube

3 to 4 dashes bitters

2 oz. Galway Spirits Bourbon

Muddle sugar and bitters together in a rocks glass.  Add ice cubes and pour in bourbon.  Stir 15 to 20 seconds to chill.  Garnish with orange wedge and cherry.  (I prefer Luxardo Maraschino cherries.)