Few Spirits Gift Baskets

Founded as a dry community, Evanston, Illinois was the birthplace of the Womens Temperance Movement and home to Frances Elizabeth Willard, an influential protagonist in the story of Prohibition. As the Temperance Movement approached boiling point, abstinence slowly began to creep across the country and Willard and her league of temperance supporters turned Evanston into a stronghold.For over 100 years, Evanston remained a dry town. It wasnt until Paul Hletko, owner and master distiller at Few Spirits, began lobbying the town that the antiquated laws were lifted. "Im the vice president of the PTA at my kids school and I coach their soccer and T-ball teams," Hletko says. "People around town know me and what Im about, which is handy when youre looking to change 100 years of laws."Today, hidden down a dark alley in a former chop shop, Hletko and his skilled team are producing a batch of Limited Edition Few Spirits Standard Issue Gin. The gin is made from a mash of malted barley, corn, wheat and rye. While many distilleries buy neutral grain spirit that they further distill into gin or whiskey, every drop of Few Standard Gin is made by hand at Hletkos space in downtown Evanston. Hletko buys his corn from a farmers co-op in Indiana and his wheat and malt from farmers in Wisconsin. Then he mashes, ferments and distills the gin at his Illinois distillery.With strong notes of juniper and fennel, Few Spirits Standard Issue Gin is bottled at 114 proof in homage to the daily rations of gin given to sailors in the Royal Navy the high proof ensured that their cannons would continue to fire even after the gin spilled on their gunpowder.Frances Elizabeth Willard would not be amused. Its unlikely shed approve of the cheeky name Hletko chose either, which is sometimes written as "F.E.W. Spirits." "People say shes rolling over in her grave," Hletko jokes. "I wouldnt know about that the name is just a coincidence."Dont miss your chance to pick up a bottle of Limited Edition Few Standard Gin today.

Founded as a dry community, Evanston, Illinois was the birthplace of the Womens Temperance Movement and home to Frances Elizabeth Willard, an influential protagonist in the story of Prohibition. As the Temperance Movement approached a boiling point, abstinence slowly began to creep across the country and Willard and her league of temperance supporters turned Evanston into a stronghold.For over 100 years, Evanston remained a dry town. It wasnt until Paul Hletko, owner and master distiller at Few Spirits, began lobbying the town that the antiquated laws were lifted. "Im the vice president of the PTA at my kids school and I coach their soccer and T-ball teams,"Hletko says. "People around town know me and what Im about, which is handy when youre looking to change 100 years of laws."Today, hidden down a dark alley in a former chop shop, Hletko and his skilled team are producing another batch of Few Spirits American Gin. The gin is crafted from a mash of corn, wheat and unmalted barley, which are infused with eleven unique botanicals, including juniper, citrus lemon and orange peel, Tahitian vanilla, cassia, grains-of-paradise and home-grown hops. As a result, the gin has a bold citrusy flavor profile, with notes of spicy ginger and earthy botanicals that complement a subtle hint of juniper.Once the botanicals have been infused, the gin is bottled at 80 proof. Few American Gin earned the Silver Medal at the International Review of Spirits Competition in 2011, and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2012.Pick up a bottle today!

Hidden down a dark alley in a former chop shop, skilled men are quietly violating one of Evanstons founding principles: Prohibition. In the 19th century, Frances Elizabeth Willard was elected President of the Chicago Womans Christian Temperance Union and embarked on a decade-long crusade to prohibit alcohol in the United States. Willard worked tirelessly; as President of the WCTU, she traveled roughly 30,000 miles per year and gave an average of 400 lectures each year for an entire decadeAs a result, Evanston remained a dry town for over 100 years. It wasnt until Paul Hletko, owner and master distiller at Few Spirits, began lobbying the town that the antiquated laws were lifted. "Im the vice president of the PTA at my kids school and I coach their soccer and T-ball teams," Hletko says. "People around town know me and what Im about, which is handy when youre looking to change 100 years of laws."Today, Hletko and his team of master distillers distill Few Single Malt Whisky in the heart of Evanston, Illinois.Few Single Malt Whisky is crafted exclusively from malted barley. Unlike traditional single malts, however, the whisky is crafted using both cherry wood smoked barley (this imparts a sweet, slightly smoky flavor) and unsmoked two-row barley. After distillation, the single malt is matured in custom-made oak barrels from Minnesota. "The cooper I eventually chose to make our barrels won 24 out of 25 categories at a spirits competition I visited," Hletko says. "Im no math major, but thats the cooper I want to make our barrels."As a result, the single malt has an aroma of fudge, vanilla and salted caramel. Notes of turmeric, cherry, espresso beans, honey and graham crackers dominate the palate, and lead to a finish with hints of apples, oak, smoke, cinnamon and caramel.Pick up a bottle today!

Founded as a dry community, Evanston, Illinois was the birthplace of the Womens Temperance Movement and home to Frances Elizabeth Willard, an influential protagonist in the story of Prohibition. As the Temperance Movement approached a boiling point, abstinence slowly began to creep across the country and Willard and her league of temperance supporters turned Evanston into a stronghold.For over 100 years, Evanston remained a dry town. It wasnt until Paul Hletko, owner and master distiller at Few Spirits, began lobbying the town that the antiquated laws were lifted. "Im the vice president of the PTA at my kids school and I coach their soccer and T-ball teams," Hletko says. "People around town know me and what Im about, which is handy when youre looking to change 100 years of laws."Today, hidden down a dark alley in a former chop shop, Hletko and his skilled team are producing another batch of Few Spirits Barrel-Aged Gin. The gin is crafted from a mash of corn, wheat and unmalted barley, which is infused with a secret recipe of botanicals, each individually selected for the way it interacts with wood. As its name suggests, Few Barrel-Aged Gin is laid to rest for four months in five-gallon, new American oak barrels which have been toasted with a #3 char. As a result, the gin has a soft amber color, and a nose filled with liquorice candy, citrus and clove. The palate is earthy and balanced, with flavors of fresh grain and sugar complemented by light, oaky undertones. The finish is soft and delicate, with notes of caramel and brown sugar.Bottled at 93 proof, Few Barrel-Aged Gin earned a Gold Medal from the Beverage Testing Institute, where it was the highest rated gin in the last five years.Pick up a bottle today!