Small Batch Big Passion pays off with Gold!!

4/11/2015 Walnut Shade, Missouri.

We are very excited to announce that Copper Run Distillery’s, Overproof White Rum was awarded a Gold Medal and Best in Category awards during the American Distilling Institute’s “9th Annual Judging of Craft American Spirits” that took place in Louisville, Kentucky on the 31st of March 2015.

CopperRunAwards

This was the first competition entry for Copper Run Distillery in the past 5 years so we very pleased that our hard work and commitment to producing high quality spirits is being recognized and appreciated but above all we’d like to thank all of you, our fans, for believing in what we do here at Copper Run and for supporting us all these years.

We are especially proud of this award because clear spirits rarely receive Gold medals, so we’d like to thank the judges for bestowing this rare honor to Copper Run.

OverproofRumOur Overproof White Rum is made from dark brown sugar and blackstrap molasses, doubled distilled, and bottled at 120 proof. This technique concentrates the flavor and aroma making it the perfect rum for your favorite spring or summer time cocktail.

Judges notes:

Bouquet: Sweet molasses, toasted vanilla, bananas and tropical fruit, liquorice

Body: Full, round, rich

Finish: Beautifully balanced, wild flowers, sweet, long lasting

Our Overproof White Rum is the ideal Rum for your spring/summer cocktails so try it in your favorite cocktail recipe and see for yourself what the judges are talking about:

Tornado Mango Mama Caipirinha Mojito
1½ oz OP Rum
¾ oz grenadine
1 oz orange juice
¼ oz lime juice
1½ oz OP Rum
½ tbsp sugar
1 lemon wedge
2 orange wedges
1 oz mango juice
1.5 oz OP Rum
half of a lime, cut into wedges
2T brown sugar
1.5 oz OP Rum
8-10 mint leaves
half of a lime, cut into wedges
2T white sugar
club soda
Fill a highball glass with ice. Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake. Strain into highball. Garnish withan orange wedge, a lime wedge, and a moonshine soaked cherry on a toothpick. Muddle lemonand orange wedges with sugar. Top with mango juice, rum, and ice. Toss mixturea few times between the glass and shaker to combine. Add a splash of grendadine for garnish. Muddle lime wedges and brown sugar in a rocks glass. Add ice to fill glass, top with rum, and toss a few times between another cup to mix. Muddle mint leaves, lime wedges, and sugar lightly in the bottom of a shaker cup. Add ice and rum, shake vigorously. Pour mixture into a highball glass, add additional ice if desired, and top with club soda. Stir to mix.

 

 

 

The Art of the Ozarks: Copper Run Distillery

By , Whersky.com

Copper-Run-Signage

Whisky enthusiasts are seeing a rapid rise in upstart craft distillers in parts of the US that don’t make a lick of sense historically. Though our tongues are excited to try all of the innovative flavors and new offerings, we can’t help but wonder, where are the roots of American distilling coming back to life?

The gnarled ancestral roots of moonshine and whisky run deep in the hills of the Ozarks. Distillation–especially illicit distillation–has transformed Ozark history and folklore. The craft and tradition being celebrated and practiced for generations after the Scottish-Irish descendants first came to this part of the New World. Later, Prohibition and the Great Depression significantly increased the number of bootleggers in the region. One enthusiastic contemporary bootlegger I met at a sports bar put it this way, “At that time, stills were as common as hickory trees.”

CRD_building

 For a taste of that tradition, my sister Jess and I visited Copper Run Distillery, the first legal distillery in the Ozarks since Prohibition.

 In deliciously-named Walnut Shade, Missouri, the Copper Run Distillery looks like a country cottage tucked into deep piles of fallen leaves. Jim Blansit, the charming, jovial founder–with a debonaire smile–met us in the tasting room before taking us on a tour of the facility.

 Jim’s enthusiasm is utterly contagious. We were completely engrossed in his detailed history of Copper Run and their distilling process. It became clear the true artistry of their artisanal whiskey rests in his craftsmanship, especially the careful attention he pays to the spirit run. This precise process gets rid of unwanted flavors and aromas created during fermentation that linger in the heads (harsh) and the tails (unwanted flavors) of the whisky. “The heart of the whisky is what we’re after, so we separate it from the heads and the tails.” he explains.

“We focus on making the right cuts to make the whisky taste good today. A year later, it can pick up a lot of the extraction from the types of barrels that we age in. So we get a really nice aging process without taking a long period of time.”

CRD_production

On our way upstairs we met the other owner and director, the rugged and soft-spoken Aris Aristidou. Where Blansit is the master distiller, Aristidou is the visionary leading Copper Run to reach its full potential. He joined us to discuss what Blansit called, “Our newest interesting idea.”

Copper Run’s tradition of offering small allotments ensures quality and creativity take priority over quantity, and recently inspired them to create their Signature Barrel Program (SBP), which allows clients to design a whisky recipe in collaboration with the distillers at Copper Run in order to handcraft their own full or half barrel. That translates to 200-400 bottles of their own unique, private-label, craft whisky. Are visions of your face on a whiskey label dancing in your head? More information on SBP can be found here.

CRD_bottles

The Ozarks’ rich distilling history inspired a lot of Blansit’s early work as a craft distiller. The ‘old-timers’ who began the tradition knew they had ideal conditions on their hands. “Water here in the Ozarks is limestone water, and void of iron. It’s absolutely perfect for making whisky. The Missouri white oak trees, specifically in the Ozarks, are world famous for making excellent whisky barrels,” he said. With oak leaves blowing in the wind outside, Blansit explained how these barrels contribute to their signature whiskies, ”We order ours with a deep char locally from Independent Stave. The deep char gives us a fast extraction, so a young whisky that goes into these brand new, heavy charred barrels can pick up a lot of caramel, toffee, vanilla, rich color and aroma in a very short period of time.”

Copper-Run-tasting-2

 By the time we had glasses in front of us, our mouths were watering. We joyfully savored the five different whisky expressions:

  • The other special release, “Hopped Malt Whiskey,” is a double-distilled Copper Creek IPA. What a flavor! It has a beer bite, but is sweet and hoppy with a surprising floral finish.
  • My favorite was the special release, “Three Grain Whiskey.” We were the first lucky outsiders to try it. Its hearty, intense start hit me in the face, but its eventual unfolding held so much complexity. The finish is a spicy, sweet cherry-vanilla.


We also tried their two moonshines:

The traditional “Ozark Mountain Moonshine” is the best moonshine I tried in Missouri. It’s smooth, full, and sweet. Their “’Overproof’ Ozark Mountain Moonshine” sits at an impressive 120 proof and explodes like a recently lit match in your mouth. Aristidou laughed, “The finish of the Overproof comes not after it hits your throat, but after it hits your stomach.”

With Branson, Missouri—the Las Vegas of the Ozarks—in their backyard, Copper Run sells a lot of moonshine, or unaged whisky,  to tourists. The novelty of genuine Ozark moonshine, nearly a century after prohibition, makes it their number one seller.

Jim impressed us with his flavorful whisky and passion for his vocation. He confessed that craft distilling is an endless mystery, “I am always learning; I’ll end up an old man still trying to figure it out.” In spite of his humble tone, his whiskey confidently speaks of experience and talent that not many distillers possess. Copper Run is the first legal distillery in the Ozarks and, with their roots firmly planted in tradition, their new crop of spirits are bold, and distinctive. Blansit jokingly exclaimed, “Yes! We’re humbly making mighty fine spirits!” We had to agree. 

Announcing The Signature Barrel Program

BarrelStack_logoLearn the secrets of hand crafted Whiskey, a barrel at a time! The signature barrel program by Copper Run Distillery.

Walnut Shade, Missouri (PRWEB) November 26, 2014

Copper Run Distillery announces the launching of its Signature Barrel Program, an innovative new product that offers whiskey lovers a chance to learn the secrets of making hand crafted whiskey while actively participating in making their very own barrel of whiskey. Under this program, the Copper Run experts will guide members of this program through the entire process at the end of which their signature label will decorate their bottles of whiskey.

This innovative program offers a unique experience and a chance for whiskey lovers to start their own whiskey adventure, whether they are a connoisseur, a group of friends, a corporation, an investor, etc. This is a great opportunity for any whiskey lover to be directly involved with their own bespoke whiskey.

About Copper Run Distillery

Nestled between overgrown oak trees in the Ozark Mountains, sits one of the best kept secrets in Missouri – Copper Run Distillery, a small business growing deep roots. Copper Run is a small batch craft distillery that favors quality and refines the age-old craft of distilling into a drink-worthy art form.

The Copper Run family of spirits is heavily influenced by local resources. Pure limestone-rich water, Missouri white oak barrels, and the ever changing climate in the Ozarks create a unique distilling environment. From the beginning Copper Run’s White Whiskey (Ozark Mountain Moonshine) and aged Corn Whiskey won the silver medal from the American Distiller’s Institute in 2010. Today small batch production, imagination, and ever evolving practices come together making exciting new spirits.

Copper Run Spirits include: Ozark Mountain Moonshine, Over Proof Mountain Moonshine, Small Batch Spirit Whiskey, White Rum, Hopped Malt Whiskey (Special Release) and Three Grain Whiskey (Special Release).

For more information about this topic click here or call us at 417-587-3456 or e-mail: [email protected]

Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence

Tripadvisor 2014 AwardCopper Run Distillery has been declared a 2014 “Winner of a Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor!”

The Certificate of Excellence award is given to outstanding hospitality businesses that have received praise and recognition in reviews by TripAdvisor travelers. This means that YOU have consistently given great feedback on TripAdvisor about your experience here at Copper Run Distillery and we want to say “THANK YOU” for giving us such glowing reviews recognizing Copper Run Distillery as a great destination!

We also feel that this award is a reflection of our hard work and our dedication to good customer service over the past few years, and we certainly aim to keep getting better as time goes by. A big thanks to our Copper Run Team!

Thanks for your support!

The Copper Run Team

Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence

The “Overproof” Ozark Mountain Moonshine

WALNUT SHADE, Missouri, Jan. 18, 2014 – Copper Run Distillery takes whiskey making to the next level. Following the success of the “Ozark Mountain Moonshine”, Copper Run Distillery is happy to present its new offering of white whiskey.

CR_OMM120

The “Overproof” Ozark Mountain Moonshine!

Copper Run has created a new experience in the white whiskey category. This 120 proof white whiskey is distilled and blended from separate batches of corn, wheat and barley proudly joins the existing Ozark Mountain Moonshine (Standard Proof).

OverMoonshine_productShot_press

Appearance: Crystal clear, white whiskey
Aroma: Open and inviting offering of fruity grain.
Flavor: Sweet buttery corn, toasted wheat, with caramelized barley.
Body: Full and smooth, mid tongue heat with lots of curves.
Finish: Clean and rich granola, honey, cinnamon, liquorice…

Overall: A Bold whiskey experience that draws you in and takes you on a journey! Beginning with clean aromatics, moving into fresh grain flavor, growing into tingling warmth and richness that eventually fades leaving a mysterious glow.

Product Details: Size: 375ml | Strength: 60% alc/vol. (120 proof)

Most commercial spirits produced today are so rectified that they have a relentless blandness but this is far from the case with the “Overproof” Ozark Mountain Moonshine.

Buy Now

About Copper Run Distillery

Nestled between overgrown oak trees in the Ozark Mountains, sits one of the best kept secrets in Missouri – Copper Run Distillery, a small business growing deep roots. Copper Run is a boutique, artisan distillery that favors quality and refines the age-old craft of distilling into a drink-worthy art form.

The Copper Run family of spirits is heavily influenced by local resources. Pure limestone rich water, Missouri white oak barrels, and the ever changing climate in the Ozarks create a unique distilling environment. From the beginning Copper Run’s White Whiskey (Ozark Mountain Moonshine) and aged Corn Whiskey won the silver medal from the American Distiller’s Institute in 2010. Today small batch production, imagination, and ever evolving practices come together making exciting new spirits.

For more information about this topic please call us at 417.587.3456 or e-mail [email protected]

40 Proof Breakfast at Springfield’s Farmers Market of the Ozarks

by BY DAVE LOWRY from stlmag.com – article link

Lowry_CopperRunSaturday morning, 10 a.m., and we’re standing in the chilly rain, drinking whiskey.

To which, those who know us, will say, “Yes, and?”

To which we say, “Well, we’re not usually doing it in the rain now, are we?”

Actually, we’re just sampling the product, the pride of Copper Run Distillery, of Walnut Shade, Mo., which is one of about 50 participants in the nicest farmer’s market we’ve ever visited, in Springfield, Mo.

In general, we think farmer’s markets are, like 3-D and Helen Mirren, overrated. But we really liked Springfield’s Farmers Market of The Ozarks.

We liked the place because it was loaded, absolutely crammed with local produce that wasn’t attractive because it was local but which was attractive because the quality—and the staggering variety—of it was amazing. You might be surprised at what’s available at a farmer’s market located in a place that has a lot of, well, farms.

Plump scarlet beets; bushy, verdant hedges of lettuce; and crinkly, dark kale. Ridged knobs of green and red okra. Bundles of the last of the season’s cucumbers share space with cheery globes of pumpkins and bright, warty-skinned squashes. Bok choy and lemongrass and bitter melon and shiitake mushrooms big as dinner plates. A dozen varieties of apples, Asian pears. If there’s a Vegetarian Room in Heaven, this is what it looks like.

And it isn’t just the vegetables. Racks of hand-ground spices. Every part of cow and pig, along with sausages, from local ranches. There are booths laden with breads, and one selling a panoply of pizza crusts, embedded with basil or oregano or other herbs. You can buy raw milk by the quart or by the gallon, depending on the level to which you want to roll the dice, gastrointestinally speaking. Fresh flowers, wreaths, handwoven scarves.

A guy named Larry Burt (right) makes weekly runs down to Louisiana and brings back some incredibly mouthwatering sea creatures, which he sells at his booth, Big Pop’s Fresh Louisiana Seafood, displaying an abundance offruits de mer. A creamy, glistening oyster shimmering in its shell. Fat blue crabs. This is the place that sells Ruby Red shrimp (top shrimp, at right), a deepwater shrimp that tastes like lobster. If you ever see them, buy them.

There’s even a booth that roasts chilies (the roaster is below), the kind that make New Mexico’s green chile sauce. And a number of booths peddling cooked food, along with some food trucks parked nearby.

Which is why we weren’t drinking on an empty stomach. We’ve made a stop at a booth selling Peruvian fare. The proprietor, a Peruvian who married an American, explained to us that when her husband retired, they looked around for something to do and decided Springfield could use another Peruvian eatery. Or, as they discovered, its first and only Peruvian eatery. Their booth is crowded at this hour; we have to wait for one of the most marvelous tamales, twice the size of the typical Mexican version, stuffed with a smoky-sweet filling of shredded pork. And while we’re there, we’ve concluded, it’s only reasonable to sample an empananda loaded with cheese and spinach. And papas rellenas, potatoes stuffed with ground beef, olives, and chopped eggs.

We also sampled a lot of goat cheese. The scrub-sprouting topsoil in many parts of the Ozarks is thin as an autumn leaf and grows rocks and goats with the same vigor. The goats make better cheese. We’ve worked our way through a tangy, herb-flecked chevre, and a crottin de Ozarks, a local take on the famous Loire Valley cheese that’s named after the horse droppings it resembles. The taste–at least the Ozark version– iscreamy and just slightly salty.  Then we moved on to a splendidly pungent one called Jackie Blue, which will be mildly amusing to those of you old enough to remember the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

We stop by another table with a lot of Japanese vegetables, grown by a woman from Echigo, way up in northern Japan, who tells us she and her husband live in Seymour, Missouri now and sells us a flaky, traditional Japanese pastry filled with sweet, dark red soybean paste.

The Copper Run Distillery booth at the farmer’s market is having a surprisingly busy morning. We mention we’re from St. Louis and a young lady behind us says that’s where she’s from—she works at DePaul and given the fact that she looked about twelve, we make a big fuss about demanding she show some ID, which she does before tipping up a generous sample of the distillery’s un-aged whiskey: moonshine.

That’s how we ended up, that first Saturday morning in October, standing in a cold rain, having a taste. Which may mean we have a problem. If so, we have an idea the solution might be back at that Peruvian place, in the form of a chicken, sausage, and cheese-stuffed empanada.