Fyren Gin from Copper Fiddle Distillery

“Who wants to taste something spicy? Let’s do it. This is our Fyren Gin. This is the last thing that we’re going to taste. The Fyren Gin has that base gin recipe you tasted in the beginning, except I hold a serrano pepper by the stem and I char it by hand with a torch. I let that infuse in the bottle. Our Fyren Gin is the only bottled infused gin in the world (that we know of). There are ten hand-cut slits in the sides of each hand-charred serrano pepper in each bottle. This allows for minimal interaction with the seeds for heat instead of just opening up the serrano pepper. That would be a bomb. This has a ton of flavor and a quick hit of heat. Put this in a Bloody Mary—unbelievable! Or just drink it neat. Amazing!”

—Andrew Macker, Owner/Operator of Copper Fiddle Distillery in Lake Zurich, IL

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That was early September when Lisa, Tracy, Sam, and I visited Copper Fiddle Distillery in Lake Zurich, Illinois for a tour and tasting. We had so much fun that we wanted to bring the good times home.

Recently, Lisa and I were with our friend Julie to create our own Bloody Mary bar, and at the center was Fyren Gin (pronounced “Fire Engine”) from Copper Fiddle Distillery. Bloody Mary cocktails concocted with gin instead of traditional vodka are actually called Red Snappers. Call them whatever you like. Just don’t call me late to the bar.

Scroll down to see more photos and read more about Fyren Gin from Copper Fiddle Distillery.

“This tastes awesome! I can taste everything that I put in here. The heat from the Fyren Gin is really nice. This has a lot of flavor, with every sip different from each ingredient. The Fyren Gin easily makes one of the best Bloody Marys I’ve ever had!”

Our friend Julie has had Blood Mary cocktails. Those are made with vodka. *yawn* Red Snapper cocktails are made with gin. This is no ordinary gin. Copper Fiddle Distillery has created a new version of its gin, which is pretty damn good and smooth, called Fyren Gin. The heat comes from the fire that is applied by hand against every serrano pepper, charred to perfection and placed whole inside each bottle. The char and the ten slits cut into each serrano pepper coax the natural heat and oils of the serrano pepper to infuse the smooth gin of Copper Fiddle Distillery into an amazing beast. Let it transform you with just one taste. If I could kick a bottle of ordinary gin in the chest backward into a deep dark pit, I would. THIS! IS! FYREN GIN!

Whenever we see Julie, she walks up to our door rip-snortin’ _______________.

a) glad

b) made

c) sleepy

d) ready to rip anything off some misbehaving person’s body

e) d, but ten times more

If music soothes the savage beast—or breast (look it up!)—our Bloody Mary or Red Snapper bar should calm her ass down. The drive is always long, the people on the road are less useful than safety cones, and the bladder is always angry—what else? It’s a long, long hellacious drive. She’s got the poison. We’ve got the cure.

But first coffee. Is going to be replaced by: But first Fyren Gin. And with that we toasted Fyren Gin neat. Julie took a sip and immediately noticed the huge difference in taste and quality. She wasn’t expecting that. Tales of the unexpected told the story through Julie’s first impression, “Whoa! I detect some heat. I can definitely taste the serrano pepper. There’s not too strong of an alcohol burn actually. I like the smokey char. This has much more flavor than I expected. The slightly oily texture from the roasted pepper gives it a smooth finish. The Fyren Gin would be good for winter!” I think she stepped back a few inches after her first shot. Impressive body blow that.

Lisa and I had our first taste of Fyren Gin at Copper Fiddle Distillery during our tour in September. Here’s a quick replay. Lisa: “The Copper Fiddle Fyren Gin is amazing! I want to try it as a Bloody Mary!” Me: “The Fyren Gin is the tip of the spear for flavor inspiration! It wakes up my tongue and rests on my palate. The personality has a warm approach and a memorable signature!” The heart wants what it wants. If you want Bloody Marys, you’ve got it!

Julie was our honored guest and so we let her step up first to the round bar of DIY Red Snapper cocktails. She was quick to dive into the Fyren Gin, chased by the red stuff and so much more. It was like scary ball lightning in the kitchen. This was, I believe, the damage in its entirety:

Julie’s Peppergeist Red Snapper Cocktail:
2 oz. Fyren Gin from Copper Fiddle Distillery
6 oz. Bloody Mary Mix
1 oz. Clamato
Ice
Garlic Stuffed Olive
Kalamata Olive
Swiss Cheese Block
Gigande Bean
Artichoke
Peperoncini
Sweet Red Pepper
Bacon Straw
Celery
Jalapeno Sizzle Beef Stick
Jalapeno Sizzle Cheese Stick
Dash Lemon Pepper
Dash Old Bay Seasoning
Pinch Smoked Sea Salt
Dash Worcestershire Sauce (not pictured)
Lemon Wedge

After I stepped back to take a few photos, Julie drew up the rim of her cup and made a sound like blood sucking. The sound of this feasting chilled my own blood, but her reaction warmed over me. Julie sang, “This tastes awesome! I can taste everything that I put in here. The heat from the Fyren Gin is really nice. This has a lot of flavor, with every sip different from each ingredient. The Fyren Gin easily makes one of the best Bloody Marys I’ve ever had!” And she noted, “I might add that the tomato and asparagus marinated with the cocktail taste amazing. The sweetness from the tomato and the crispness from the asparagus mix well with the charred serrano pepper in the Fyren Gin!” Suddenly so chirpy and chipper!

“This has a ton of flavor and a quick hit of heat. Put this in a Bloody Mary—unbelievable! Or just drink it neat. Amazing!”

Lisa’s had some rough days lately. Sometimes she makes a choking gesture with her hands unconsciously. I don’t want to see if I fit the mold. I was hoping that the Fyren Gin might break the tension. Lisa was very focused during her cocktail mixing. She even had the steps in the right sequence. If I knew better, I would’ve said that she wasn’t disarming a bomb, but building one. Well, hell. I listened to her talk it out and walk it through. After the smoke cleared, I saw a volatile looking drink:

Lisa’s Drink of the Flaming Mad Red Snapper Cocktail:
Dash Worcestershire Sauce (not pictured)
Dash Old Bay Seasoning
Pinch Smoked Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Horseradish
2 oz. Fyren Gin from Copper Fiddle Distillery
8 oz. Bloody Mary Mix
Dash Lemon Pepper
Squirt Sriracha
Mushroom
Kalamata Olive
Cheddar Block
Garlic Stuffed Olive
Cocktail Onion
Peperoncini
Gigande Bean
Artichoke
Celery
Beef Sausage Stick
Bacon Straw
Lemon Wedge
Pickled Asparagus
Kosher Dill Pickle Spear

I took some photos and retreated like a grenadier or a dentist taking bitewings. Lisa’s eyes opened wide as she raised her glass. She could smell her drink the same way that a great cat picks up the scent of its prey in the dark of night, so much meat. She took a few sips and was defused pleased with her results, “I can really taste the Fyren Gin coming through smooth and combining perfectly with all the vegetable flavors! The tomato juice and the spices are a nice blend. The cocktail rests warm on my tongue from the charred serrano pepper in the Fyren Gin. I also enjoy the meat and smoked sea salt with some Worcestershire sauce. The horseradish also kicks. The bacon is really, really good. The smokey flavor is brightened by the tomato, lemon and Fyren Gin. This is really refreshing and also really potent!” Who needs to know the difference between colors of wires? Bah!

I was like the last one running around in a scary movie. You’re thinking I might survive since I’m still around, but you don’t have any confidence in me. The franchise is bigger than me. Or I might carry it! With my cup in my hand, I lit my torch to find my way out of this mess. I could always light my breath too. I lit the night like so:

My Corpse on the Beach Red Snapper Cocktail:
Ice
2 oz. Fyren Gin
4 oz. Bloody Mary Mix
Squirt Cilantro Lime Sauce
Pepper Jack Cheese Stick
Celery
Avocado Slice
Gigande Bean
Artichoke
Sweet Red Pepper
Mushroom
Kalamata Olive
Lime Wedge

I went with less is more, and more Fyren Gin to red stuff ratio, a rocket in my pocket. I cocked back and took a long draw, “Whoa! This is some good stuff—tomatoey, warm, pepper jackey (jackish?)—everything! This is the right ratio of Fyren Gin to cocktail mix. I could drink two of these. I’d like to see the bunny that eats this celery. Damn good. This feels like a Mexican vacation in a glass!” I actually said this.

“I can really taste the Fyren Gin coming through smooth and combining perfectly with all the vegetable flavors! The tomato juice and the spices are a nice blend. The cocktail rests warm on my tongue from the charred serrano pepper in the Fyren Gin. I also enjoy the meat and smoked sea salt with some Worcestershire sauce. The horseradish also kicks. The bacon is really, really good. The smokey flavor is brightened by the tomato, lemon and Fyren Gin. This is really refreshing and also really potent!”

Lisa and Julie actually made second Red Snappers with Fyren Gin from Copper Fiddle Distillery. I didn’t bother to hover over them the second time around. I didn’t want to push my luck. And I was basking in the afterglow of my Corpse on the Beach. These were some damn good drinks that you drink and eat. I could feel a chill of approaching deep autumn, but it was quickly abated by the warmth still resonating on my palate and in my tummy.

I was never a fan of gin until I toured Copper Fiddle Distillery when they gave me my first taste of their gin so smooth I could drink it neat. Then they turned up the heat with their new Fyren Gin. Give your Halloween or party hosting a transfusion with the hand-charred serrano pepper infusion of Fyren Gin from Copper Fiddle Distillery. Wake the dead!

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To learn more about Fyren Gin, or plan your visit or tour of Copper Fiddle Distillery, click Copper Fiddle Distillery

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