Central Standard Craft Distillery is launching a new series of limited edition brandies and the first installment is here.
The release Tuesday of North Blackberry Brandy marks the debut of Central Standard's Flannel series. The seasonal brandy is available in limited supply, says co-founder Evan Hughes.
“These new brandies featuring local ingredients and provide a taste of the Midwest,” says Hughes. “In true Wisconsin fashion, we’re naming them the Flannel series.”
The 80 proof blackberry brandy is Central Standard's 2-year-old North Brandy finished with raw Wisconsin-grown blackberries, according to co-founder Pat McQuillan, who oversees production.
“This is not your grandmother’s syrupy-sweet brandy,” McQuillan says. “The fruit flavor in our new North Blackberry Brandy is subtle and almost crisp, which makes it perfect for mixing up summer-time Old Fashioned, Bramble and Sidecar cocktails.”
North Blackberry Brandy is in 750ml bottles and priced between $24.99 and $29.99.
Additional flavors are in currently in the works for the Flannel series, but Hughes isn't divulging yet.
“We can’t wait for our fans to give the entire series a taste,” he says.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
