Want to see Nick act like a little kid at Christmas? Have him order a hammered copper still from Portugal, make him wait a long time, and then tell him it’s coming the next day! That’s all it takes.
The still arrived on Tuesday, April 21 via tractor trailer truck. With the forklift, Nick unloaded two huge crates from the truck and we all set to unpacking all of the gorgeous copper pieces. Although it’s a very long way from the final premium apple brandy product, it’s the first step.
State and federal regulations will require patience and mountains of paperwork. Federal inspectors will need to make site visits. And state officials have additional requirements. Daunting is an understatement, but it will all be worth it. Three years down the road, we hope that our first batch will be ready.
Apples that fall on the ground cannot be used in sweet cider. They can, however, be used in the process of making apple brandy. And we’ll be utilizing apple wood from the orchard to fuel the fire under the still. Apples, heat, oak barrels, a lot of time, and some secrets come together to create premium brandy.
Stories from the past will help to fuel the process, too. Nick’s grandfather had a still in Connecticut during Prohibition…and tales from right around here abound. It’s been told that the mayor of Winooski expected a little something from the rumrunners as they passed through town.
The family that owned Megan’s house for 100 years before she bought it (in the Old North End in Burlington) had one brother-in-law who was a rumrunner and another brother-in-law who was a policeman—that created some tension in the family…and some exciting moments in the neighborhood! The same family made their own wine in the cellar, hidden away except for the occasional explosion when a glass bottle wasn’t vented well enough. Ah, the good old days.
Vermont author Howard Frank Mosher tells delightful stories about rumrunners along the Canadian border and over in New York state. If you’ve got a story of your own, we’d love to hear it at apple100@together.net.
And stay tuned as the process progresses. You’ll find details right here!