18 Feb Startup Stories of Spirits Entrepreneurs: FEW SPIRITS
This post originally appeared on FoodableTV.com Paul Hletko has brewing in his blood. His grandfather was a brewer in the Czech Republic but lost his business in World War II, and, despite moving to the U.S., continued to fight to get his brewery back until he died in 2008. Hletko wanted to pay homage to his grandfather and, with a passion for whiskey and gin, opening a distillery seemed like a natural option.Evanston, Illinois was founded as a dry community and was the headquarters of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, the organization that fought for suffrage, as well as to ban alcohol. Frances Elizabeth Willard, an inhabitant of Evanston, was a longtime president of the organization. While she died in 1898 before Prohibition, she was influential in the movement and was the first woman to have her statue in Statuary Hall in U.S. Capitol.
FEW Spirits was named using Francis Elizabeth Willard’s initials. On the one hand, it is a slap in the face to the history of temperance. But on the other hand, the name works perfectly in marketing taglines, such as “we don’t make a lot, we make FEW” or “if you are only going to have one, have FEW.” The Challenges With an anti-alcohol history, no alcohol was sold in Evanston until 1970 and there had never been alcohol production. Hletko was instrumental in laying the new groundwork to open a distillery in Evanston. But there was no instruction manual. “The wide range of things that you need to have instant expertise about, as well as the lack of an instruction manual, were the biggest challenges,” says Hletko. To get through these challenges, he credits hard work, trial and error, creating, science and art. He also turned to friends and mentors. “I’ve had the privilege to learn from some of the best, including Robert and Sonat Birnecker at Koval, Drew Kulsveen from Willett, Matt Hoffman from Westland, Johnny Jeffrey formerly of Death’s Door, Rob Masters from Spring44, John Couchot from Rogue and now Boston Harbor Distillery, Scott and Becky Harris from Catoctin Creek, and more.” While there were no guidelines when Hletko began, he helped establish alcohol production in Evanston. While FEW is still the only distillery, two breweries have since opened in the area.Local Inspiration
Bonus: Cocktail Recipes
“I remain weak for Negronis and any of our gins make a good one,” says Hletko. The Cocktail Academy in Los Angeles created a FEWgroni, swapping Campari for the more mildly bitter Salers, and sweet vermouth for dry.Fewgroni
- 1 ½ oz. FEW American Gin
- ¾ oz. Salers
- ¾ oz. Dolin Blanc Vermouth
House Martini by Hastings Cameron & Ed Hong, Gib’s, Madison, WI
- 1 ¼ oz. Tapatio Blanco 110-proof Tequila
- ¾ oz. FEW Anguish & Regret
- ¾ oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth
- 1 grapefruit coin (cut a silver dollar-sized disc of grapefruit peel with a paring knife, leaving a little pith for the extra bitterness)
- 1 pinch salt
Ginger Swizzle by Jenny Goodwin, Fado Irish Pub, Atlanta
Somewhere between a Mint Julep, a Mojito and a Mule, this ginger sipper gets an extra spicy kick from FEW Rye Whiskey.- 2 oz. FEW Rye Whiskey
- ½ oz. The King’s Ginger Liqueur
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 oz. simple syrup (1 part sugar, 1 part water)
- 3 mint leaves
- 6 dashes Angostura Bitters
Northshore Collins by Eugene Lee, Big Bar, Los Angeles
Brunch drinks always seem to scream spring, but the vanilla and hops that flavor Few American Gin, along with a rich aged rum, make this one great for later in the year.
- 1 oz. Few American Gin
- ¾ oz. aged rum, such as Zaya
- ½ oz. lemon juice
- ½ oz. Small Hand Foods Gum Syrup
- ¼ oz. Passion fruit puree
- ¼ oz. Small Hand Foods Orgeat
- Club soda
Add all the ingredients except the club soda to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake briefly and strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Fill with club soda and garnish with a lemon twist.
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