Ashland Daily Tidings
Emerging Business of the Year
Friday | 17 October 2008 CategoriesIn the news
The highest recognition given by the Ashland Chamber of Commerce was recently awarded at the 102nd Annual Dinner Celebration for 2008 with approximately 200 guests in attendance.
The President's Gavel was exchanged from President Katy Bazylewicz of Providence Medford Medical Center to the incoming President Pam Hammond, co-owner of Paddington Station in Ashland.
The top awards for the evening were presented to nine individuals for their business successes and community contributions:
• The Volunteer of the Year celebrated the community accomplishments of Al Alsing.
• The Citizen of Year went to Juli DiChiro who was also nominated by her peers as Superintendent of the Year in Ashland.
• The Honorary Life Member of the Year was given to Senora Chelo Kocks for her dedication to the Sister-City relationship between Ashland and Guanajuato, Mexico.
• The First Ever Food & Wine Classic Top Chef of 2007, as well as the new Iron Chef Oregon was recognized as Neil Clooney from Dragonfly Café & Gardens.
• New Award this year: The Emerging Business of the Year was given to Diane Paulson, David Eliason and Mary Toney of Cascade Peak Spirits that produces Organic Nation Vodka and Gin.
• The Greeter of the Year was awarded to Gordon Roda.
• The Retail Business of the Year was given to Bloomsbury Books in downtown Ashland.
• The Service Business of the Year was awarded to the Ashland YMCA.
• The Manufacturing Business of the Year was awarded to DreamSacks, Inc.
All awards recipients received plaques highlighting their accomplishments.
The President's Gavel was exchanged from President Katy Bazylewicz of Providence Medford Medical Center to the incoming President Pam Hammond, co-owner of Paddington Station in Ashland.
The top awards for the evening were presented to nine individuals for their business successes and community contributions:
• The Volunteer of the Year celebrated the community accomplishments of Al Alsing.
• The Citizen of Year went to Juli DiChiro who was also nominated by her peers as Superintendent of the Year in Ashland.
• The Honorary Life Member of the Year was given to Senora Chelo Kocks for her dedication to the Sister-City relationship between Ashland and Guanajuato, Mexico.
• The First Ever Food & Wine Classic Top Chef of 2007, as well as the new Iron Chef Oregon was recognized as Neil Clooney from Dragonfly Café & Gardens.
• New Award this year: The Emerging Business of the Year was given to Diane Paulson, David Eliason and Mary Toney of Cascade Peak Spirits that produces Organic Nation Vodka and Gin.
• The Greeter of the Year was awarded to Gordon Roda.
• The Retail Business of the Year was given to Bloomsbury Books in downtown Ashland.
• The Service Business of the Year was awarded to the Ashland YMCA.
• The Manufacturing Business of the Year was awarded to DreamSacks, Inc.
All awards recipients received plaques highlighting their accomplishments.
(Guilt) free spirits
Monday | 08 December 2008 CategoriesIn the news
Ashland Daily Tidings
By Hannah Guzik
David Eliasen had been tinkering around in his Ashland distillery, trying to get the gin right for weeks. In August, when he finally found the right concoction, he was honest with his wife about his process: It was a genuine mistake.
"He was supposed to steep the botanicals for 12 hours, but he forgot about it and left it for 24 hours," said his wife, Diane Paulson, president of Cascade Peak Spirits Inc., an Ashland company that makes Organic Nation Vodka and Organic Nation Gin.
Eliasen, who had been toiling in the Hersey Business Park distillery like a "little mad scientist," according to Paulson, mixed the 24-hour gin with the 12-hour gin to create the taste he was after.
"It was the coincidence of creativity," Paulson said.
Eliasen, who is the company's vice president and who also works full time for the city, now replicates his "mistake" every weekend to make the company's smooth, fragrant gin, infused with 12 botanicals, including juniper berries and angelica root, gathered from Pacific Botanicals in Grants Pass.
Read More...
By Hannah Guzik
David Eliasen had been tinkering around in his Ashland distillery, trying to get the gin right for weeks. In August, when he finally found the right concoction, he was honest with his wife about his process: It was a genuine mistake."He was supposed to steep the botanicals for 12 hours, but he forgot about it and left it for 24 hours," said his wife, Diane Paulson, president of Cascade Peak Spirits Inc., an Ashland company that makes Organic Nation Vodka and Organic Nation Gin.
Eliasen, who had been toiling in the Hersey Business Park distillery like a "little mad scientist," according to Paulson, mixed the 24-hour gin with the 12-hour gin to create the taste he was after.
"It was the coincidence of creativity," Paulson said.
Eliasen, who is the company's vice president and who also works full time for the city, now replicates his "mistake" every weekend to make the company's smooth, fragrant gin, infused with 12 botanicals, including juniper berries and angelica root, gathered from Pacific Botanicals in Grants Pass.
Read More...
Shaken, not stirred
Saturday | 11 October 2008 CategoriesIn the news
Ashland Daily Tidings
By Hannah Guzik
Melodie Buell tended to her gaggle of gooseberries, muddling them with pear pieces in a pint glass, shaking them in a bath of vodka and black peppercorn syrup, and straining the liquid into a martini glass. Hands fluttering around the Standing Stone Brewery bar, she added five gooseberries to the drink, tucked a pear slice on the edge of the glass and floated semi-sparkling chardonnay on top.
"There it is," she said, standing back to admire her work. "Goose's Pear'd Up."
On the counter, glowing and golden in the bar's half-light, was Buell's award-winning drink.
Last month the Ashland native won the Southern Oregon Regional Oregon Bounty Cocktail Contest, put on by Travel Oregon, and advanced to the statewide competition in Portland Oct. 1.
There she competed against the six other regional winners, mixing her drink for a panel of judges.
Although Cheryl Meloy of Portland won the competition with her Hike, Fish & Go Camping Punch, Buell — who had never entered a mixology contest before — finished in the top three.
Read More...
By Hannah Guzik
Melodie Buell tended to her gaggle of gooseberries, muddling them with pear pieces in a pint glass, shaking them in a bath of vodka and black peppercorn syrup, and straining the liquid into a martini glass. Hands fluttering around the Standing Stone Brewery bar, she added five gooseberries to the drink, tucked a pear slice on the edge of the glass and floated semi-sparkling chardonnay on top."There it is," she said, standing back to admire her work. "Goose's Pear'd Up."
On the counter, glowing and golden in the bar's half-light, was Buell's award-winning drink.
Last month the Ashland native won the Southern Oregon Regional Oregon Bounty Cocktail Contest, put on by Travel Oregon, and advanced to the statewide competition in Portland Oct. 1.
There she competed against the six other regional winners, mixing her drink for a panel of judges.
Although Cheryl Meloy of Portland won the competition with her Hike, Fish & Go Camping Punch, Buell — who had never entered a mixology contest before — finished in the top three.
Read More...
Cooking with whiskey, gin and vodka
Sunday | 04 January 2009 CategoriesIn the news
Ashland Daily Tidings
By Vickie Aldous
People have long been accustomed to cooking with wine, but the Cascade Peak Spirits distillery in Ashland and Medford's 38 Central restaurant want to introduce diners to food cooked with whiskey, vodka and even gin.
The two local companies are teaming up on Monday, Jan. 26, for a dinner at the restaurant that will feature Chef Juan Murillo's creations. The dinner is limited to 60 people and reservations are required.
Murillo will use Cascade Peak Spirits' Organic Nation vodka, gin and whiskey to take diners on a taste adventure.
Dishes will include brie and leek soup paired with a vodka and lime sorbet, steak with whiskey sauce, seared scallops finished with a gin and tonic reduction and chocolate and whiskey bread pudding.
Read More...
By Vickie Aldous
People have long been accustomed to cooking with wine, but the Cascade Peak Spirits distillery in Ashland and Medford's 38 Central restaurant want to introduce diners to food cooked with whiskey, vodka and even gin.The two local companies are teaming up on Monday, Jan. 26, for a dinner at the restaurant that will feature Chef Juan Murillo's creations. The dinner is limited to 60 people and reservations are required.
Murillo will use Cascade Peak Spirits' Organic Nation vodka, gin and whiskey to take diners on a taste adventure.
Dishes will include brie and leek soup paired with a vodka and lime sorbet, steak with whiskey sauce, seared scallops finished with a gin and tonic reduction and chocolate and whiskey bread pudding.
Read More...
Organic vodka brewed in Ashland
Thursday | 01 May 2008 CategoriesIn the news
Ashland Daily Tidings
By Mandy Valencia
Diane Paulson, president, owner, CEO, and chief bottle-washer of Cascade Peak Spirits, has opened a distillery in Ashland brewing vodka.
"We started brewing over cocktails in the summer of 2006," Paulson said. "In September of 2007, we were developing a business plan, going to workshops and researching the whole distilling industry."
Paulson and her partner, David Eliasen, looked at the growing organic food industry and decided, "If I can eat organic food, why wouldn't I want to have organic booze?"
Read More...
By Mandy Valencia
Diane Paulson, president, owner, CEO, and chief bottle-washer of Cascade Peak Spirits, has opened a distillery in Ashland brewing vodka."We started brewing over cocktails in the summer of 2006," Paulson said. "In September of 2007, we were developing a business plan, going to workshops and researching the whole distilling industry."
Paulson and her partner, David Eliasen, looked at the growing organic food industry and decided, "If I can eat organic food, why wouldn't I want to have organic booze?"
Read More...