Money Where the Mouth is

Craft distillery Wide Mouth Spirits preps for launch
BY AARON RAGAN-FORE

I'm standing in Nicholas Walker's sunny Springfield kitchen on a Tuesday morning in February, swirling a stemmed glass containing a cloudy concoction that looks suspiciously like a thick shot of grape juice. The liquid is a crème de cacao chocolate infusion, a planned offering of Wide Mouth Spirits, LLC, the nascent brainchild of Walker and business partner James Stegall.

Both of the men glance at me expectantly as I raise the glass to my lips, but I'm a bit dubious. I usually go for something a bit more butch — a shot of Maker's Mark, say — and I've never quite trusted dessert liqueurs. But the nectar goes down smooth and sharp and just a little tart, and I quickly ask for another belt. A small one. It's not even lunchtime.

Artistic collaboration is nothing new to Stegall and Walker, who first teamed up last year for an AM radio theater program. The two realized they were kindred spirits, and when Walker saw a niche for flavorful, organic, craft-distilled liquor with a distinctive "flavor library" derived from Willamette Valley produce, he knew Stegall would be his first call.

To see the rest of this article, check out Eugene Weekly's 2008 Swizzle! section.