"Made from pure honey, StilltheOne Distillery’s Comb Vodka, Comb 9 Gin and, new last month, Comb Blossom Brandy are getting raves from cocktail experts both in and beyond the county’s borders, much to the satisfaction of its local owners, Ed and Laura Tiedge.
'Laura and I wanted to do something special,' Mr. Tiedge said. 'The world doesn’t need another $40 potato vodka.' While learning about mead (honey wine), Mr. Tiedge hit upon the idea of distilling the honey into vodka. As he tested different varieties of honey and strains of yeast he discovered that, in addition to being a more expensive base ingredient than potatoes, honey is tricky to work with.
'The first full-scale test to make 500 gallons of the base honey wine required 1,100 pounds — half a metric ton — of orange blossom honey,' Mr. Tiedge said. 'It was a nerve-wracking $2,500 experiment. Lucky for us, it was a success.'
It takes about a gallon of honey to make the same quantity of spirits, and, though not a flavored vodka, Comb Vodka subtly retains its base ingredient’s characteristics — a slight, very appealing viscosity and exceptional smoothness. 'It’s great in a martini or for sipping straight up or on the rocks,' Joseph Price, the mixologist at Plates in Larchmont, was overheard telling a customer. The Tiedges chose orange blossom honey over clover or wildflower because the flower’s essence complements so many cocktail ingredients, especially citrus.
'Comb expresses itself beautifully in mixed drinks — when we tasted it, we were very excited by the cocktail possibilities,' said Christopher Gambelli, wine director for Moderne Barn, whose gorgeously vibrant Honey Wallbanger tarts up the vodka with peak-of-the-season blood orange juice.
Plates’s popular Tuscan Tangelini also takes advantage of Comb and seasonal citrus pairing, giving freshly squeezed tangelo juice the honeyed background notes of the vodka and a lightly herbaceous counterpoint with star anise-and-fennel-seed-infused simple syrup.
Botanicals like juniper, licorice root, galangal and lavender are among those with which the Tiedges infuse the honey spirit to make the Comb 9 Gin, which, like the vodka, sells for about $35 for a fifth. The signature blend gives drinks like the classic Negroni a distinctive, floral nose."
Cocktails for Locavores or for Lovers of Honey
By VALERIE PETERSON
'Laura and I wanted to do something special,' Mr. Tiedge said. 'The world doesn’t need another $40 potato vodka.' While learning about mead (honey wine), Mr. Tiedge hit upon the idea of distilling the honey into vodka. As he tested different varieties of honey and strains of yeast he discovered that, in addition to being a more expensive base ingredient than potatoes, honey is tricky to work with.
'The first full-scale test to make 500 gallons of the base honey wine required 1,100 pounds — half a metric ton — of orange blossom honey,' Mr. Tiedge said. 'It was a nerve-wracking $2,500 experiment. Lucky for us, it was a success.'
It takes about a gallon of honey to make the same quantity of spirits, and, though not a flavored vodka, Comb Vodka subtly retains its base ingredient’s characteristics — a slight, very appealing viscosity and exceptional smoothness. 'It’s great in a martini or for sipping straight up or on the rocks,' Joseph Price, the mixologist at Plates in Larchmont, was overheard telling a customer. The Tiedges chose orange blossom honey over clover or wildflower because the flower’s essence complements so many cocktail ingredients, especially citrus.
'Comb expresses itself beautifully in mixed drinks — when we tasted it, we were very excited by the cocktail possibilities,' said Christopher Gambelli, wine director for Moderne Barn, whose gorgeously vibrant Honey Wallbanger tarts up the vodka with peak-of-the-season blood orange juice.
Plates’s popular Tuscan Tangelini also takes advantage of Comb and seasonal citrus pairing, giving freshly squeezed tangelo juice the honeyed background notes of the vodka and a lightly herbaceous counterpoint with star anise-and-fennel-seed-infused simple syrup.
Botanicals like juniper, licorice root, galangal and lavender are among those with which the Tiedges infuse the honey spirit to make the Comb 9 Gin, which, like the vodka, sells for about $35 for a fifth. The signature blend gives drinks like the classic Negroni a distinctive, floral nose."
Cocktails for Locavores or for Lovers of Honey
By VALERIE PETERSON
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