Whiskey + Yoga at 3 Howls Distillery

My original plan for the weekend involved trail running with friends (okay, that’s my plan every weekend.) However, earlier in the week I began to get a new pain around my knee/IT band which took running off the table for a few days. It was disappointing, but I quickly devised a new plan with attending this Whiskey + Yoga event! I thought some yoga would be good to stretch out my tight runner’s muscles, and it was an excellent excuse for me to sample new-to-me spirits at the 3 Howls Distillery.

I’ve seen a few of these Just Add Yoga events advertised before, but never had the time to try one out. Thanks to my temporarily sidelined leg, I now had the opportunity! The concept is simple and awesome – an hour of yoga followed by a tasting of beer/cider/wine/spirits from the business where the class took place. Relaxing physical activity followed by tasty booze? Sign me up!

The Yoga

My yoga experience is I-take-a-class-maybe-once-a-year, so I hoped I wouldn’t embarrass myself with my inflexibility, and lack of yoga knowledge. I needn’t have worried because the vibe was very relaxed, and the class was doable even for a beginner like me. They emphasized only doing what you were comfortable doing and modifying as necessary (or just sitting there in Child’s Pose if you wanted.) “It’s your Saturday – do what you want!”

As the class went along, I was pleased to find the stretching and poses seemed to slightly improve the pain in my leg. I knew I would enjoy the physical part and its benefits, but I hadn’t counted on the mental centering that took place for me. Keep in mind this wasn’t a silent class with a meditation focus. We were all loudly breathing and making noises as we stretched our bodies into new poses. And Annie the Boston Terrier trotted around to everyone, saying hello, and snuggled up to us mid-class. So a serious class this was not. But at one point our teacher, Lizzie, said something about letting go of the week and all of the obligations and just being. I immediately felt a huge weight lifted from me. (For context, the past eight weeks at work have been extraordinarily busy and stressful, and Lizzie had no idea how much I needed to let it all go!)

It was a fun class that left me feeling good and considering taking more yoga classes for the physical and mental benefits. (Particularly with Lizzie, as she was funny and awesome!)

The Whiskey

After the rejuvenating yoga class, it was time to sample some whiskey! Will, the owner of 3 Howls Distillery, was a great host. He explained his offerings to the group and cheerfully answered all of my geeky distilling questions. There was also Brownrigg Hard Cider available to sample, and while I’m sure it was delightful, I was there for the whiskey!

As it’s my favorite type of whiskey, I had to start with the single malt. I found it to have a nose with sweet grains, and that vanilla/woody smell that I associate with bourbon. Turns out it was aged in new American oak barrels, which would indeed lend that nose and flavor. One of the other women attending the tasting said it had a slight peaty taste, which surprised me. However, after she mentioned it I did notice a puff of smoke in the background. Turns out there is some imported peated barley on the mash bill, so kudos to her and her refined palate!

Next up was the bourbon. As you might know, it’s not my favorite type of whiskey, but I’m always hopeful one will win me over someday. The 3 Howls Backbeat Bourbon has all of the caramel and vanilla notes you would expect, with a hint of spice that you wouldn’t. It almost has a little bit of a rye kick to it which makes sense when you see the mash bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% barley. Did it win me over? Well, no, but I’m a real tough sell. I think bourbon-lovers would enjoy it, though!

Lastly, I tried the Hop-Flavored Whiskey. Generally I’m not into “flavored” whiskies, but this sounded intriguing. Will infuses the whiskey with hops using a process similar to that of making gin. He explained it’s a way of getting all of the benefits of hops without the bitterness (sorry IPA fans.) It had a light citrus and floral flavor that reminded me of a beer without carbonation and had a hint of sweetness. It’s a fun spirit that could definitely appeal to beer and whiskey drinkers alike.

I was asking Will if he ever used finishing casks (something I love) and he jumped up and came back with his madeira finished rum. It was a sweet and fruity delight! I particularly enjoy whiskies finished in a madeira cask, so it was very interesting to try a rum finished in the same way. I would definitely recommend it – it would be the perfect summer spirit!

This was a really fun opportunity to try some new spirits and talk to the distiller himself. He makes vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey, and he explained his distilling philosophy well – make a spirit that recognizable, but has a unique spin on it. As Will said, there’s no need to try and imitate mass producer’s spirit. Why bother, when you could just buy theirs? Instead, he experiments with flavors to find something that’s fun, tasty, and distinct.

Overall, Yoga + Whiskey was a really fun way to start out a weekend, and I look forward to going to another event!