North Shore's award-winning line of spirits

I first encountered North Shore Distillery through my love of absinthe. North Shore’s Sirene Absinthe became the second absinthe to be produced domestically after the absinthe ban was relaxed in late 2007, and remains the only absinthe produced in Illinois. I met husband and wife co-owners Sonja and Derek Kassebaum at an absinthe seminar at In Fine Spirits a few months ago, and caught up with Sonja again Viet Bistro’s recent North Shore cocktail tasting. In addition to its potent, green Sirene Absinthe, North Shore makes a variety of plain and infused artisanal gins and vodkas, as well as the only domestically produced aquavit, a Scandinavian-style spirit flavored predominantly with caraway and other herbs such as cumin and cardamom.

A few years ago, Sonja and Derek were in corporate jobs with dreams of leaving the 9-to-5 world to start the state’s first artisanal distillery in Lake Bluff. In 2005, after navigating a maze of red tape, including laws dating back to prohibition era, the couple installed a 2-ton, 60-gallon German still and began producing and selling their spirits. The hard work has clearly paid off: Distiller’s Gin No. 6 (a modern gin with a complex, floral flavor profile) was rated best gin by Chicago Magazine in 2007, beating out Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray No. 10, and won a gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute. No. 6 was followed by a Tahitian vanilla infused vodka (my personal favorite), Distiller’s Gin No. 11 (a drier, classic gin), and a series of limited edition gins infused with Ceylon tea,  Medjool dates, and Rhubarb and Ginger (these are unfortunately sold out and no longer available). This year, North Shore unveiled Alphonso Mango No.11, a limited edition gin infused with Indian alphonso mangoes—an amazingly sweet, rich, and mellow spirit. No. 11 is selling out quickly, so I recommend that you get your hands on a bottle of this amazing stuff before it’s too late. 

Not that North Shore won’t come out with something new. Derek, a chemical engineer prior to starting the distillery, currently handles the technical aspects of the business, while Sonja runs PR and marketing, writes a blog (thinkingofdrinking.blogspot.com), and is a member of LUPEC, the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (lupec.org). North Shore’s distribution is currently limited to the Midwest, although it products can be purchased online and shipped nationwide. 

Check out North Shore Distillery online at northshoredistillery.com.  The Kassebaums’ creations are available at Sam’s, Binny’s, Treasure Island and many other retailers. Bars that serve North Shore products include In Fine Spirits (currently featuring a North Shore gin flight), Viet Bistro (featuring a special menu of North Shore cocktails, including the fabulous Mango Breeze), Uncommon Ground, The Violet Hour, and many, many more.

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