Seattle distillery focuses on creating ‘Amaricano’: American-made amaro

Not only is the female-owned Fast Penny Spirits one of the friendliest spots in town, but power plant owners are also quickly gaining recognition for their smooth, delightful creations: they were recently awarded a gold medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition ( SFWSC) for their two Italian-style Amari, Amaricano and Amaricano Bianca.

Miraculously, Jamie Hunt and Holly Robinson managed to open their distillery during a global pandemic – after three years of development. They have teamed up to educate other women, support their local community, while making waves in the beverage industry. The duo provides 3% of bottle sales to support “women in business, our communities and industry”.

Their products are carefully mixed with a mixture of high quality, wildly produced organic plant substances. To follow the Italian Amaro tradition (which Hunt witnessed first hand on her travels), they installed two brand new springs made of white oak and even worked with a chemical engineer to improve their process even further. A fragrant three-pound drag of fresh truffles had just arrived the day we stopped by.

The finished products, described as “rich, herbaceous, and beautifully complex,” are ideal for a sip on their own or when masterfully added to cocktails. During our visit, curious locals came by to investigate the Interbay venue. A stone’s throw from a working shipyard and just around the corner from Ballard Bridge.

On the weekends, guests are drawn to the intimate tasting deck, where they can sit at barrel tables made by a local couple while sipping house and cocktails, and perhaps enjoying snacks brought back by other budding local entrepreneurs.

Having Italian family roots and a passion for great food, Hunt left her long career in the digital space with the aim of making a positive impact in the world. The result? Creation of a company that gives something back and produces a high quality Amaro made with regional, sustainable botanicals. Partnering with Robinson, a talented distillery and restaurant industry veteran and one of the thought leaders behind the successful Big Gin brand, seemed like an obvious fit.

The duo often met to ponder the idea before Hunt finally said, “Let’s do this.” “OK,” replied Robinson. “It’s going to be hard, but let’s do it!”

Robinson loves that she can focus on “my love for the farm and good food,” she says. “In addition, the rear bar fits the foods that we incorporate into our bodies. I am very proud to lead this company into the future. ”

She likes to engage the community at pop-up events too, which not only highlights other small business owners but also diversifies who each group is exposed to. Job highlights for Hunt include “staying content, connecting and collaborating, and keeping things going. I love working with different people. ”

On the other hand, she also appreciates the diversity that this job brought with it – from learning about production and shipping to handling problems to budget and dealers.

“It’s always changing,” she says. And, perhaps most importantly, they both feel very strongly about their company’s return model. They say they returned 5% of their sales at the end of 2020 and donated in-kind donations to auctions and other charity events. The couple are quick to say that they couldn’t have started a brand new business alone in the past rollercoaster year.

“We got a lot of support from the community, period,” says Hunt.

Alex from Big Gin often comes in next door to lend a hand, and Colin from Holy Mountain Brewing came in to help set up the federation. The couple recalls insisting on relying on his help instead of paying the $ 5,000 installation fee.

“None of us can get ahead in this business alone,” he said.

The women are also passionate about creating the most sustainable company possible, for example when it comes to everything about where they get ingredients from and about their bottles from Mexico (the closest supplier they could find for carbon footprint reduce). Recycling these bottles, even with an electric forklift versus one that uses propane.

“We can do more,” said Robinson. “It’s just difficult as a small start-up.” However, you continue to strive to continuously research and develop yourself.

Find Fast Penny’s tempting Amaro at local retailers, bars and restaurants and find out about upcoming pop-up events at the Interbay headquarters of the distillery: May 8 (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.) with Maria Louisa Empanadas and Chocolate Spiel, May 15, 2019. May 11 am – 2 pm) with Siobhan’s Cakes, May 21 (4 pm – 8 pm) with Blue Bird Ice Cream, May 22 (11 am – 2 pm) with Antler Baking Co. and May 28 (4 pm – 8 pm) or until sold out) with Gorilla Pizza King and so on. We’ll cheer that on!