CHELAN, Wash. — Of course you can taste, tour, and otherwise get your wine on in Lake Chelan, but there is a Chelan beyond crush ... and locals making libations from things that aren't grapes. Like apples!
"This is one of the oldest apple packing sheds in the area, so we built our winery in it," said Johnny Kludt of Lake Chelan Winery.
When craft ciders took off a couple of years ago, Lake Chelan Winery decided to share the hard cider they made in small batches.
"It's all artisanal, handpicked, no concentrates, everything's right out of the orchards, and you get a real vibrant fresh apple character to it," said Kludt.
Today, batches are no longer small, and they have at tough time keeping this cider on the winery shelves...not to worry, it's available at more than 150 grocery stores or you can visit their Cider House at Lake Chelan Winery, open daily.
If you'd rather have a pint of brew than a glass of wine head up the road to Manson, and the Lake Chelan Brewery.
According to Tony Medina, owner of Lake Chelan Brewery and the adjoining taproom, "We felt we needed something a little bit different than a winery because a lot of people are doing wine. That's why we went for the brewery."
These brews have been known to cause conversions...and turn wine lovers into beer drinkers. And this is the only place you can get a Manson Beach Blonde or a Mackinaw Red on tap. Tony says their brewing system is so small, they can barely keep up as is. This nano-brewery has touches that make all visitors feel like a local. You can write on the brick wall for a donation to the food bank, or spin vintage vinyl at the bar's turntable. There's a stack of records to choose from, or patrons can bring their own Bon Jovi.
Their secret to brewing beer that's turning wine lovers into hop heads?
"It's the water," said Tony. "We feel like we have the best tasting water in the state or anywhere, right here in Lake Chelan."
A pirate flag flies over the tasting room for Blue Spirits -- a former Chelan distillery which moved it's tasting room to Leavenworth. Former architect Jeff Soehren turned his garage into a lab and the results of his experiments are vodkas flavored with everything from espresso to pepper. Plenty of wine tourists make their way to this mom and pop distillery to sample what Jeff and his wife create.
"We have a lot of people that enjoy having the option of coming to a distillery and having whiskey, or tasting a bourbon," said Jeff.
And the local ingredient that makes these spirits special? By now you've probably figured it out.
"Blue Spirits comes from the color of our water," said Jeff. 'The water is phenomenal. Lake Chelan is one of the three most pristine lakes in the country. The water composition, the ph balance, it's just perfect for distilling, for producing spirits."
Lake Chelan's grapes are great. But so is the water.
And there are plenty of ways to get a taste of this place that have nothing to do with wine.
Lake Chelan Winery Cider House | 3519 Highway 150 Chelan, WA 98816 | (509) 687-9463
Lake Chelan Brewery | 50 Wapato Way Manson, WA 98831 | (509) 687-4444
Blue Spirits | 920 Front St. Leavenworth, WA 98826 | (206) 310-3945
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