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This unusual spirit was inspired by a sliver of a paragraph in Matteo Da Ponte’s 1922 Manuale di Distillazione about the distillation of chicory roots. Years later, as part of the Sagra del Radicchio (Portland’s unique celebration of all things chicory), I met Anja and Wim Vissers, Endive growers in Silverton, Oregon. The production of the delectable leaf portion of endive produces an inulin rich root, ordinarily fed to cows but we diverted 1000 pounds to create this unique spirit. The roots were washed at Flying Coyote Farm in Sandy and then milled, fermented and distilled into a fruity spirit with notes of pome fruit and (shocker) endive leaf. Very strong chicory coffee was brewed using roasted chicory root and used to dilute the spirit to bottling strength. Raw (unroasted) chicory root was macerated to impart bitterness and sweetness was adjusted using a single varietal chicory honey from Oso Honey in Corvallis.
The labels were printed on an antique letterpress by modern Renaissance man Dave Selden’s 33 Books in Corbett, OR. 148 bottles produced.
Tasting Notes from Margarett Waterbury (co-author of Radicchio: A Celebration of the Beloved Italian Vegetable)
Cichorium intybus viewed through every lens. A roasty-toasty aroma hints at hard-toasted raisin bread and campfire coffee. Burnt caramel and mocha take center stage on the palate, which culminates in a transparent bittersweet finish that lets the underlying floral character of the base spiritshine through. Somewhere between a coffee liqueur and an amaro, like a shift drink for the coolest of baristas