Micro-Distilled Vodka, Gin Blossom in Oregon

First came the gourmet coffee craze. Then the microbrewery blitz.

Now a Bend man hopes to tap into the next Northwest-led rebellion against bland or chemically enhanced products.

Jim Bendis has started Bendistillery Inc., a micro-distillery that makes Cascade Mountain Gin and Crater Lake Vodka.

“To me, it seems like the next logical step to what’s been going on with Oregon wines, microbrewed beers and coffee,” Bendis said.

After nearly a year of hacking through the thickets of federal and state requirements, Bendis launched his products in Oregon’s state-run liquor stores about a month ago.

“For a new product, it’s doing fairly well,” said Ray Holmberger, owner of the Wagner Mall liquor store on Bend’s north end. “I’m sure it will do well once it gets known a little better.”

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission liked the Crater Lake Vodka and Cascade Mountain Gin enough to authorize a “forced” release, which means the top 50 of the state’s 234 liquor stores received at least three bottles as part of a new product roll-out, Bendis said.

After that, individual liquor stores can order the gin and vodka based on sales, said Jean Burgoyne, purchasing assistant with the OLCC.

“It should do well,” Burgoyne added. “It’s a nice package. When you have that kind of an Oregon product, we have a lot of tourists who like to pick up something from Oregon.”

Bendis, 36, doesn’t drink much himself. He’s an outdoors enthusiast. When not making gin or vodka, he spends his spare time waxing his skis at his Bend distillery.

He’s also an avid distance runner who has competed in nearly 100 triathlons.

“I believe in moderation and think my gin and vodka will be enjoyed by people who like premium products,” Bendis said. “I don’t drink much. But I am a coffee snob and a beer snob. As the evolutionary chain goes up, I think I could become a gin and vodka snob.”

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A fifth of Cascade Mountain gin sells for $18.95, Bendis said, the same as top-notch Tanqueray. His Crater Lake Vodka also sells for $18.95, which puts it on par with big-name premium brands like Absolut.

Part of the reason for the high price is that Bendis’ gin and vodka are handcrafted in small batches. So volume isn’t where he makes his money.

There’s also federal taxes, which amount to $3 to $4 a bottle, and the more than 100% markup by the OLCC.

But beyond that, Bendis thinks the price fits the quality of his spirits.

He uses only natural ingredients, including juniper berries for his gin from abundant central Oregon juniper trees.

He’s done informal taste tests and says he’s never lost a competition to Absolut. He takes the extra time to age his vodka in oak barrels, which helps smooth out the sharp alcohol taste.

In addition, he filters each gallon five times--again to smooth out the alcohol bite.

“No big company is going to take the time to filter one gallon a minute and filter it five times,” Bendis said. “It’s just like microbrewed beer. You can taste the difference.”

Originally, Bendis planned to make only gin, which was his favorite liquor. After researching the market, however, he found that vodka substantially outsells gin. So he broadened his product base.

According to the OLCC, Bendis is the only micro-distillery in Oregon making vodka and gin. Two other companies produce brandy, and Hood River Distillery bottles, but doesn’t make, its liquor in Oregon.

Starting a distillery is about as easy as trigonometry, Bendis said, which may explain why so few exist. Gaining approval from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms takes months and requires reading a manual the size of a Volkswagen.

Next comes the OLCC, which is the only customer for hard liquor sold in Oregon.

“It’s a Catch-22 all the way along,” said Bendis, who spends six times more than he anticipated starting the business. “You have to get a permit to make it, and you have to have a plant to get a permit. So here you are 10 months into it, you finally get a permit to make vodka and gin, and you still don’t know if [the OLCC] is going to buy it.”

Bendis operates the distillery as a hobby business. He continues to work selling advertising for a local television station. So far, he can produce enough gin and vodka on weekends to meet demand.

But Bendis has talked to distribution firms, which would try to convince Oregon restaurants to carry his gin and vodka. He’s also considering a push into Washington and Idaho and wants to expand into a marionberry vodka and espresso liqueur using Bend-based Royal Blend coffee.

Still, he wants to keep the operation small. He claims he can become one of the top premium distilled spirits sellers in Oregon by selling only 100 cases a month.

“It really is just a hobby,” he said. “I don’t plan on it ever becoming a big business. I just want to be known as the guy who makes that awesome gin and vodka.”