Cocktails by Pilot House Distilling - North Coast Food Trail

On a particularly cold and rainy day, I found myself at Pilot House Distilling in Astoria. It was such a pleasure to sit in their cozy tasting room sipping my cocktail. They have a large window overlooking their distilling operation, and if you get there at the right time you can watch them in action. Pilot House Distilling has been perfecting their craft since 2013. The staff are very knowledgeable and are more than happy to answer any and all questions to help you improve your cocktail game. The spirits made in-house include gins, vodkas, whiskies and absinthe. Their tasting rooms feature a fun and creative cocktail menu. If you find yourself in downtown Astoria or Cannon Beach be sure to visit them.

If you can’t make it there, you can find their spirits in select stores and bars or simply shop online. Master mixologist and tasting room manager Ben Thompson shared two of Pilot House Distilling’s signature cocktail recipes that feature some of their award-winning spirits.

Visit Pilot House Distilling at 1270 Duane St. in Astoria and 224 N. Hemlock St. in Cannon Beach.

Pearly Sting

This cocktail is a hybrid of a Bee’s Knees and a French 75 that showcases their Painted Lady Gin and Columbia Absinthe.

Ingredients

2 oz Painted Lady Gin
1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 oz honey simple syrup
¼ oz Columbia Absinthe (anise flavored spirit)

Directions

Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Add ice. Shake and then strain into a low ball glass. Top with Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) and garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

Key Lime Pie

A fruity, refreshing cocktail featuring their Bar Pilot Vodka. This cocktail will be part of the spring/summer menu. First step is to dip the rim of a martini glass in coconut cream. Then dip the rim in finely crushed graham cracker crumbs. Set aside.