Corsair Artisan Distillery

It has only been a few years since absinthe was legalized in the United States.  In that time several distilleries have scrambled to put products on the market.  But instead of being just a trendy addition to a line of spirits, Corsair has been intentional about presenting our RED absinthe as one of our mainstays.  It is in our DNA.  It is a spirit that is complex and challenging, but always refreshing and satisfying.  Its not for everyone, but those who take the time to appreciate it are hooked.

Absinthe is regaining a following and Corsair is being noticed.  Check out this article from Nashville Metromix:

Absinthe is back at the bar

Here is a bit of what they have to say:

Corsair Artisan Distillery has been selling RED absinthe, which is colored and slightly flavored with hibiscus, for about nine months, making it the only rose absinthe manufactured and distributed in the U.S.

“Our company got going about the same time the U.S. ban was lifted, so it was one of those things where we said we could make a little and people would come and want to know about it,” says Andrew Webber, co-founder of Corsair, which is based in Nashville and has its current production facility in Bowling Green, Ky. (They’ll soon be moving into Marathon Village.) “It’s one of the most uncommon absinthes made in the world, so people have found use for our product, and it has its own uses in mixology.

“It’s been a stronger product than we expected,” Webber adds, citing traction for RED in cities such as Louisville, Ky., Atlanta and Seattle. “Mainly we made it because we could and it was fun.”

So, next time you’re feeling adventurous and looking for a new beverage experience, take the leap and give absinthe a spin. Reality will not morph uncontrollably around you.

Corsair Artisan, the Nashville-based microdistillery has officially come home with the opening of its Nashville location in the Marathon Motorworks Village.  This historic building, located at 1200 Clinton St, is the former home of Yazoo Brewery.  This facility will provide the setting to brew all of the whiskey mash for Corsair’s mainstream and experimental whiskeys (By the way, we just filled 7 barrels with our forthcoming Triple Smoke Whiskey).  Our 240 gallon antique still is also on site and will allow us to distill in Nashville as well as in Bowling Green.

Photo courtesy of Nashville Restaurants

This new location will continue the taproom tradition set by Yazoo.  Stop by on Thursday (4-8), Friday (4-8) or Saturday (2-8) to try one our 16 regional craft beers and our appetizers, sandwiches and wraps.  (Click here for the full menu)

Here is what is currently being poured:

• Yazoo
  • Pale Ale
  • Hefeweizen
  • Dos Perros
  • Wassail
  • Sly Rye Porter
  • Onward Stout
• Abita Purple Haze
• BBC Nut Brown Ale
• Coney Island Lager (Kosher)
• Highland Kashmir IPA
• Left Hand Milk Stout
• Scrimshaw Pilsner
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
• Terrapin Hop Karma
• Woodchuck Draft Cider

All beers and available by the pint or as a growler. (Click here for a detailed beer list)

Tours of the facility will be available in the near future.

For a great article on the opening of the taproom, check out the Nashville Restaurants blog.

Not only are our spirits available in Nashville, but very soon there will be a distillery location there too.  Here is some of the news coverage of the expansion:

Distillers Push For New Nashville Business – Nashville News Story – WSMV Nashville

Nashville Scene – Bites – Corsair Distillery Aiming at Yazoo Location

The Nashville Scene has recognized the special qualities of local delectable delights in a recent article: Nashville Dining – Next time you take a nip or a nibble, check to see if it was made in Nashville

If you are in the Nashville area, you will please to know:

Corsair is currently distributed in Tennessee and Kentucky and is available locally at Midtown Wine and Spirits, The Wine Chap, Grace’s Plaza Wine & Spirits, Nashville Wine and Spirits and Grand Cru, as well as at Flyte World Dining & Wine and City House restaurants. The Patterson House restaurant also carries Corsair, and mixologists at the midtown speakeasy are currently creating recipes using pumpkin spice moonshine, which should be available later this month.

NashvilleLifestyles.com has just compiled its list of the new hottest stuff in music city.  #10 on the list is Corsair’s Dreamcicle cocktail.  Check it out.

We are planning to open a second distillery in Nashville. Here is the article in Today’s Tennessean.

July 20, 2009

New law lures new micro-distilleries to Tennessee

Entrepreneurs’ plans include the Gulch in Nashville

By Bonna Johnson
THE TENNESSEAN

Entrepreneurs looking to make Tennessee whiskey and other distilled spirits are getting to work now that it’s legal in many parts of the state, although it could be months — if not years — before their locally made potions hit the shelves.

Read full article here:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090720/BUSINESS01/907200325

Absinthe Manufacturer Coming To Nashville

http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/06/19/absinthe-manufacturer-coming-to-nashville/

By Kleinheider
Posted on June 19, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Corsair Artisan, a small batch liquor distiller, is looking to take advantage of a new law.
In the waning hours of the Tennessee General Assembly, lawmakers approved a bill that allows for the “manufacturing of intoxicating liquors” in counties that have approved retail package sales and liquor-by-the-drink sales.The bill is now awaiting the signature of Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Nashville natives Darek Bell and Andrew Webber couldn’t be in better spirits about the development. They are now planning on bringing their start-up distillery home to Nashville.