Roundhouse Imperial Aged Gin

It all started with a cocktail. I was at SALT while guiding one of my downtown dining tours, and my guests got to “mix + match = make merry” with The Cocktail Element. As the esteemed libation experts at SALT know, I really enjoy my cocktails. And not just any ole’ cocktails. Real, thoughtfully prepared, unique cocktails. Sometimes I’m presented with a cocktail that’s not on the menu, or one that is a twist on a classic. That day, out came beverage director Evan Faber with a martini glass.

I, also sometimes known as Megan Maple Bourbon, immediately thought I had been served a bourbon or scotch cocktail, martini style. I took a sip and couldn’t quite place any flavors, but I knew it was a whiskey cocktail.

I couldn’t have been more wrong! I can only explain it like the moment the record player needles slides off the record and music comes to a screeching halt. It was a gin cocktail. A GIN cocktail! And not just any ole’ gin. This was made with Roundhouse Imperial Barrel Aged Gin. It was so golden honey brown, I was fooled. But, this barrel aged gin, disguised as scotch or bourbon to anyone ignoring the label, surprises and delights the palate.

Roundhouse Spirits, “Handcrafted Spirits of Uncommon Character,” is located right here in Boulder, and you can visit the distillery Thursdays-Saturdays from 3-7 pm. I did just that.

These barrels house the next batch of Imperial Barrel Aged Gin. Ted Palmer, el presidente, chief distiller, and tour guide, told me that the first batch had just gotten out to select restaurants and is available in limited quantities in liquor stores. Looks like the Imperial Cocktail at SALT is one of the first official barrel aged gin cocktails in town for Roundhouse Spirits.

Here’s Evan’s recipe:

2 oz Roundhouse Imperial Gin
1 oz Boissiere Sweet Vermouth
Dash of Orange Bitters
Garnish with a cherry

Stir well over ice and strain into a martini glass.

But, back to the place where the magic happens… Ted gave us a great tour of the distillery.

Turns out he has some custom made stills, handmade in Spain.

Ted is very enthusiastic about gin. He said he knew he wanted to make gin from the moment he had his first delicious sip. I was please at the end of our tour to enjoy some delicious sips of his libations. There’s a complementary tasting at the end of each tour, by the way.

Roundhouse Spirits currently makes gin, the newly released barrel aged gin, as well as Coretto, a fantastic coffee liqueur, which features a special roast from Boulder’s Unseen Bean. And, stay tuned for the new spirit… coming soon!

At the tasting bar, we learned about Ted’s theory of artfully producing a “Melting Pot Gin” with flavor profiles from the best parts of all world styles of gin. Come to a tasting and smell all of his choice ingredients and learn which ones are traditional in Dutch, English, and American styles of gin.

I bought a bottle of the first batch of Imperial Aged Gin. I have plans for this bottle…

You can try the Imperial Cocktail at SALT, but supplies are limited. Cocktail possibilities, on the other hand, seem endless.




Taste that Tune

Join in the fun and play the game where your favorite song is paired with a wine, beer, or spirit!

SALT the Bistro on Facebook is the place to be!

Here’s a couple recent songs posted and their pairings:

“Goin’ Out West” by Tom Waits
Pairs with: a slug of Rye


You ever have a slug of Rye? It’s real easy to make. You take some Rye, you pour it over some ice, and you get everything else the hell out of its way.

“Goin’ Out West” hits like a buckshot, with a venomous bite that would make a rattlesnake shake. It’s lyrics are bold and Waits’ voice is loud and rough– just like a good Rye Whiskey.

Keep the devil on a leash.


“Frankly Mr. Shankly” by The Smiths
Pairs with: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (from Marlborough)

This song is built around light citrusy guitar licks, and tangy notes of wild abandon. There is no other wine to drink to this song but a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough New Zealand. In fact, Sauvignon Blanc would like to dedicate this song to it’s long time “Mr. Shankly,” Chardonnay. NZ Sauvignon Blanc is willing to do whatever it takes to “go down in (wine drinking) history.” It is now so popular it has even influenced some of those stalwarts of tradition in France, specifically in the Loire Valley, to create more modern expressions of the grape.

The Organic Pizza Company

The Organic Pizza Company. Who/What is that? It’s a great take and bake pizza company and if you’re near a Denver metro location, pick up a pie for dinner.
Our private tasting event at the OPC’s new location in The Spire building started with a pizza making demo. It is all done by scratch- dough and all, and there aren’t any crazy funky ingredients either. The Organic Pizza Company makes pies like you would at home and they source organic ingredients.
We headed to a private dining area and were greeted with lots of good wines.

Then the pizzas started coming…

I ate a few pieces and got caught up in conversation. I soon realized that all of those wines were not some random wines for us to taste. The Organic Pizza Company partners with local liquor stores to provide pizza buyers with wine pairing suggestions for each pizza. I love this idea! You can plan an affordable pairing base on some great suggestions from wine enthusiasts.

I think the wine pairing idea is so good it’s copy-worthy. Really. Copy-worthy. Consumers often like a little help with this part of dinner, so I like that The Organic Pizza Company has thought this out.

They offer a gluten free pizza with Udi’s gluten free crust. I had a slice and it was really good. You can order any one of their pies gluten free.
At first, I payed a lot of attention as each pie was presented.

And then I got so caught up in conversation I found myself snapping photos way after people had served themselves.

In the end- I not only had a great time meeting people, drinking wine, and eating great pizzas… I got to take one home with me to bake on my pizza stone.

I ordered the Norwegian pie that comes topped with smoked salmon. It baked up nicely and my hungry man, who had not been eating pizzas with me all night, was happy I came home with dinner. The pizza baked well according to their baking instructions, and to me, that’s the most important part. It’s good to know that the pie actually bakes at home the way it is supposed to.

There are currently two Organic Pizza Company locations-
Denver Highlands- 4500 W 38th Ave 303-561-1111
and downtown Denver- 891 14th St 303-534-2223
They also deliver within 2 miles of their locations.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Every time I go into Savory Spice Shop in Boulder I seem to walk out with a new project.  Last December my project was homemade vanilla extract.  It’s been ready for a few weeks now and I’ve been using my own version rather than store-bought stuff in baked goods.  It’s super easy to make at home.  Here’s how I did it-
I started with a 3 oz package of Madagascar “Bourbon” Vanilla Beans (Did someone say Bourbon? You’re speaking my language!).  Slice the pods, scrape out the insides, chop up the pods into inch-long pieces, and add it all to a cup or so of vodka.
Let it sit a couple months, shaking it every few days for the first few weeks.
I took a few different shots of my mason jar.
Here’s a glimpse of the vanilla extract against light so you can see there are still vanilla beans in my jar. Leave all of that in there.
Use it as you would traditional store-bought vanilla extract, and since the vanilla beans stay in the vodka mixture, replenish what you used with fresh vodka to get more bang for your vanilla buck.

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A Bolder Table is a place where I bookmark my favorite recipes for later along with some occasional musings. It's my personal digital recipe compilation... Let's say it's my cookbook. Thanks for stopping by! -Megan
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