What makes a great bar cart? According to Cameron Graham, marketing manager at Bow Street Beverage, the basic elements are fairly simple: vodka, gin, rum, whisky, tequila, and vermouth. Of course, it helps to have garnishes (like olives, citrus, and cherries) along with the proper mixing tools: a shaker, mixer, strainer, and paring knife or peeler. We challenged Graham to create the ultimate bar cart showcasing Maine-made spirits, and the results are absolutely worth incorporating into your own beverage cabinet.
Vodka
“With vodka, there’s not a lot of room for variation in flavor, because you really want it to taste like water,” Graham says. “Most of the places in Maine that make spirits are also making vodka. Cold River Vodka is one of my favorites, but if you’re looking for something organic, Split Rock Distilling in Newcastle makes a great organic vodka.”
Gin
“Gin has more room for maneuvering, because it can be really juniper-forward, or you can have a dryer gin that tastes more like vodka. Creativity can come through a bit more than it does with other spirits,” Graham explains. “Maine does gin really well—I think it’s because it doesn’t require lots of aging.” Round Turn Distilling’s Bimini Gin and Hardshore Distilling Company’s Original Gin are Graham’s top picks, both of which lean heavily into juniper flavors.
Rum
“I love Three of Strong Spirits because they’re so rum-focused,” Graham says. “They’ve really built out their rum line, whereas most other distilleries have either a spiced variety and a light rum or a light rum and a dark version.” In addition to their seven varieties of Maine-made rum, Three of Strong also makes great ready-to-drink cocktails including a canned mojito, Stormy Night (their version of a Dark and Stormy), and two kinds of rum punch.
Bourbon/Whiskey
“Like Maine’s gin and rum options, our bourbon is improving,” Graham notes. Hardshore Distilling’s Shorebird Whiskey comes in three expressions: a four-year-aged small batch with notes of honey and spice, a five-year-aged single barrel variety, and the six-year-aged Master Distiller’s Series with unparalleled smoothness and richness of flavor. Graham’s other favorites are Batson River’s Langsford Road Bourbon and Wiggly Bridge’s small barrel variety.
Tequila
Distilleries in Maine can’t legally market tequila, since tequila can only come from one of five authorized states in Mexico, but a handful of companies make a similar product called a blue agave spirit. Graham likes Batson River’s version, called Amato 33, as well as Wiggly Bridge’s Anejo Agave Blue, which is aged between 12 and 18 months in rum and bourbon barrels.
Miscellaneous
While herbal Amaros (think Fernet or Aperol) don’t typically originate in Maine, Liquid Riot’s Fernet Michaud, which is aged in blueberry wine barrels, is a great local option. Handshake, a Persian-inspired digestif bitters made right in Portland, adds a touch of creativity and zest to cocktails (or any beverage, for that matter), as do bitters from Vena’s Fizz House. “Vena’s started as a sort of soda shop in Portland, and their owner, Steve Corman, knows a ton and loves to lead educational workshops and classes,” Graham says. “I like to add their garam masala bitters to my coffee sometimes for an extra hint of complexity.” Another Maine favorite, Owl and Whale, offers a variety of bitters as well as shrubs and phosphates. “Phosphates make a drink sour and give it a zing, like what you’d get from a sour candy,” Graham explains, while vinegary shrubs add tang to beverages.