Exclusive Interview with Eric W. Olson, Owner and Craft Distiller of Central Coast Distillery

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Q: What is your full name, title, company name and company location?

My full name is Eric W. Olson, Owner and Craft Distiller of Central Coast Distillery. We are located in the heart of California Central Coast wine country, in the small town of Atascadero within the county of San Luis Obispo.

Q: You have a formidable background in the culinary world. Can you tell us what attracted you initially to that industry?

Food and wine are in my DNA! It dates back three generations to my paternal grandfather who was a chef and worked his way through logging camp kitchens in California. Road side restaurants led him to Arizona eventually landing him in Southern Texas where he boarded and worked in several galleys of vessels leaving the ports. My dear mother, a home economist and model, was the first “chef” on TV out of Sacramento, California where she was televised live on air for a program sponsored by General Electric promoting cooking appliances. I remember watching her prepare wonderful meals on the local channel but being young, I turned my nose toward fast food. My father, while not formally trained in F&B, was a novice wine maker, and enjoyed dabbling in the production of hard cider. He had an excellent palate and missed his calling as a food critic.

It was inevitable that one day the gene would kick in....it did! It was during my travels abroad (while enlisted with the United States Army) that my interest peaked and took me to study the culinary arts in 22 countries. Food, wine and travel became the driving force in my life.

Q: What was your inspiration to open and operate your own distillery?

I have been fortunate enough to work and serve in various leadership capacities at some of California’s most distinguished luxury resorts and clubs. Such properties as Ojai Valley Inn & Spa and Pebble Beach Resorts set the bar high and served to form my skills and temperament to lead each area within my scope, to create exciting and creative menus, recruit and hire the team that could meet the challenge, and to operate with financial success. Operating successful Food & Beverage outlets require tireless hours of commitment and quickly becomes a “young man’s sport”. So how does one stay within his passion and still transition to a position that allots for more time to enjoy life and family? For me, distillation was a natural fit and I set to cooking spirits and found myself truly passionate about it.

Opening my own distillery had to include operating a tasting room, serving upcraft cocktails and a food element. This provides me the means to cultivate my passions manageably. so I sought to resource great schools and training programs to learn the art. I believe that with great training and a lot of hard work you can accomplish much and “with a ton of prayers to the man upstairs” as the country song says.

Q: What are some of the similarities and/or differences between the culinary and the spirits worlds?

There are many ways these two worlds cross. In the pastry kitchen, spirits are a fundamental arsenal; nothing makes a dessert pop more than a good spirit. When working as an Executive Chef at a fairly large resort, I recall having two offices and both where well stocked with spirits accessible for use in a good recipe as well as for consumption around an occasional chefs table after a very long shift and cleanup.

When I first started in the culinary field, classical French training was foundational to our

schooling and included the heavy use of egg yolks, crème and spirits. Today, with a greater understanding of the health effects brought about by the first two, we have toned them down, yet spirits have now been taken to a higher advantage point. For example, in my early days of cooking, Executive Chefs would regard Tequila as a waste spirit and a saved punishment for the cook that messed up an order on the line. You messed up an order, you drank a shot! Tequila was a cheap harsh spirit. Today, Tequila ranks with some of the fine Scotch Whiskies and Cognac/Brandy.

Today, the emergence of craft cocktailing have joined the ranks and in some cases are beginning to stand shoulder to shoulder alongside the culinary arts through the birth of “mixology”. So much of what goes into an excellent cocktail now starts in the kitchen with the preparation of fresh squeezed juices, garnishments of fruits, vegetables, dehydrated sea elements, infused sugar, house made elixirs/bitters and specialized ice cubes. Creating classics with a twist or ones unique concoction has evolved into its own unique element of culinary creativity.

Worlds, both spirits and culinary, have run a divine cultural parallel throughout the ages; they don’t concern themselves, with social structures, barriers, past records/ mistakes or the amounts of ink on one’s skin, but lean to small craft artistry, service and a never-ending drive to be top performers of their profession and skill. I have found passion prevails for both the craft distiller and culinarian and both are driven by it. I can honestly say I experience an exhilarating rush from both.

Q: What is your daily routine at the distillery?

As a chef and distiller, I am very aware that fundamentally I am cooking a volatile product which means checks and reviews of your working environment is critical. First thing I do is walk the distillery, smell for leaks, observe and get a feel for the place. If fermentation is happening, I am mindful of CO2. If there is a task to be done that requires electricity and alcohol vapors are present, I have to ask myself if that task can be accomplished by hand. On production days I move to tasting the fermentations and focusing on cooking the alcohol in production: gin, vodka, rum, whiskey and in the future brandy. While distillation is in process, I work on making my “to do” list or writing up goals, listening to books on tape, create new drink menus, drive distribution sales, shine up the stills in the tasting room and give a friendly wave to those who peer through the window to encourage engagement and extend a hand of welcome. other time is filled with widening my gaze and preparing for the next educational experience we will be offering in our classroom. That is the mental side. To get physical there are mash tons to be cleaned, water circulation systems to be maintained, pallets of bottles to be hand labeled, filled and stored.

With a small footprint, seating is limited in our tasting room which naturally creates an intimate atmosphere and instant friendships. Our overall goal is to connect with the customer, find their favorite spirit and gain a committed fan. We have garnered a strong following within our local county so we work hard to ensure regular communications with our followers regarding upcoming social and educational events through social media and promotional materials that are included with their packaged purchases. At times these may include complimentary dehydrated garnishments and recipes. After the fun has ended, it’s time to clean up from the party, secure the bar and count the change.

Q: How did you acquire the initial knowledge to get started with fermentation and distillation and what have you done since then to improve on your techniques?

My first memory relating to distilling, as I recall, was as a young boy visiting my mother’s family on their ranch in Eureka, California. With close to 500 acres to explore, my curiosity ran wild! While surveying a cavern I stumbled upon what I know today as a pot still with a copper coil. I guess I missed the tasting.

Twenty years later I found myself in the food and beverage business traveling countries worldwide learning all that I could and educating myself. My travels abroad took me to distillers on back roads not well traveled and into small villages in France, Germany, Thailand, Chile and Japan.

My first study of fermentation was at Richemont Switzerland’s Master Baker school. I was taught to work with sour dough starters and fermenting foods such as cabbage for kimchi and sauerkraut. More recently, when working under more sustainable practices, I found myself pulling wild yeast strain off organic raisins to use as a leavening agent when creating an acorn pancake recipe. Through the fermentation of raw local honey, I have produced mead that was featured in our downtown art festival for the purpose of educating the public on the grave importance of saving the bees.

Since my decision to open a distillery, I have followed much of the same path and continue to absorb as much as I can by sitting at the feet of those who have been successful at doing it. I have taken advance distilling courses in Utah at New World Distillery, Classes in Texas (Iron Root Distillery), a few in Washington State at both city colleges and distilleries such as Three Howl Distillery in Seattle and one of my favorites at Gig Harbor Heritage Distillery. Moonshine University remains my favorite place to hang my toke. The 5-day Rum Course by The Rum University is hands down the best distilling class out there. There was so much to take in and was not limited to simply rum but served to broaden our repertoire on spirits in general. In addition, it offered the opportunity to networking with others in the distillery business worldwide. We captured the latest and greatest aged rums and sipped them in a classroom setting. Definitely one to attend for so many reasons. Honestly, I never thought Kentucky could be so much fun and being on the Whiskey Trail was fascinating and worth staying in town an extra day.

My overall favorite fermentation class was also through the Moonshine University and taught by Dr. Patrick Heist where we studied the impact of the various unique yeast strains. It was interesting to learn the science and its impact on production which in turn effects profitability.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration to name your products “forager”?

A “forager” is a hunter and gatherer who searches for a natural source of food within his/her surroundings. The wildcraft of foraging is a learned art in identifying, harvesting and consuming the abundant properties earth has availed us organically. There are three elements to foraging: spiritual, medicinal and nutritional survival.

I am a descendant of the Fitzels family, historically noted as the first druggist in California, way back when Eureka was the capital of California. I learned the craft from my great aunts and uncles who lived off of the land and often foraged for natural cures for their apothecary.

As a chef, I dug deeper than “farm to table”. It was natural for me to gather from the natural resources in my cooking. This kept our menu fresh and seasonal: the way God intended. More recently this has become of great interest and I have had the opportunity to lead the media through the process as well as take groups out to explore this lost art. It is a wonderfully unique experience!

During my food trucking days, while in transit to our next stop I would pull off the side of the road and allow our team to forage. Servers and chefs harvested side by side and we used these local harvests to garnish the meals we served up later down the road.

San Luis Obispo County, where I reside, offers a bounty of wild botanicals. Many of which are natural cures for the over indulgence of alcohol, such as milk thistle, which inspires the liver (and also the secret ingredient in a rock star energy drink), stinging nettles for your kidneys and our local willow bark serves as a natural aspirin. Nature seemed to foresee the vast number of vineyards and wineries long before we did!

Suffice it to say, I am a natural born forager and I have incorporated this family inherited craft into so many aspects of my life. Today as a distiller, my convictions are to continue to bring God’s gifts from the earth’s bounties into all that I produce using as many natural products into my production in season. Some of these botanicals are used in our gin such as wild bay leaf, elderberry and juniper. Within our distillery we have created a living wall growing our own herbs, aloe vera and edible flowers to be used in both our culinary preparations, as well as, our craft cocktails. so I guess you can say we do a bit of foraging in our own tasting room!

Q: What rum do you currently have in your portfolio?

Our 90-proof Forager Rum finished in Bourbon Barrels is balanced in flavor with a distinct complexity, hints of tropical fruits of pineapple. Our rum will convert a devout Bourbon drinker to rum!

Q: Forager rum is aged in very small barrels, 5 gallons instead of the traditional 50-55 gallon barrels. Did you choose the smaller barrel only for practical reasons or are there other advantages?

Small oak barrels can be a great way to quickly age spirits, especially whiskey, rum, tequila and bourbon. Because they expose a greater surface area per volume of liquid to the wood, they can more quickly diffuse the woody flavor of oak –a product of lignin, vanillin, and small traces of tannins that are extracted from the cell walls of the wood– throughout the drink inside, resulting in a finely aged spirit. Five-gallon barrels are also easy to move on top of tables for bottling or for a quick impromptu tasting. They are also easy to store and with our small footprint, we have to use every inch of space allotted to us. I use a standard liquor cage to store my five-gallon barrels. They fit perfectly and are firmly secure in the cages. Living in earthquake country, cages secure the product nicely.

After the whiskey barrels are used and the tannins are removed we reuse the barrel to age our rum. This is a very sustainable practice and imparts another dimensional aspect to the spirit.

Q: Forager rum just won a Double Gold Medal at the Denver International Spirits Competition, congratulations! Did you expect to get this level of recognition this soon?

My chef experience led me to enter many national and international competitions. It was natural for me and I honestly enjoyed winning. Who doesn’t? One local paper wrote “He wins everything”. In reality, the bigger goal is to produce spirits at the platinum level. This provides me a stage in which I can compete with the big boys because I know I can never beat them in volume. I have always enjoyed a good healthy competition and continue to challenge myself to meet or exceed my limits. I have a very simple formula:

  1. Get highly educated in the distillery business.
  2. Network with all master distillery craftsmen and/or their number two.
  3. Study traditional methods and use any high tech, cutting edge opportunity you can.
  4. Align yourself with a strong Branding and Packaging Company that understands your brand and has the creativity to project it! We were fortunate to work with Mark Oliver Inc. out of Solvang, California.
  5. Continue to taste excellent spirits by visiting worldwide distilleries; and
  6. Memorize the judges' notes, noting necessary corrections and apply them!

In all honesty, I submitted two of my four spirits into this competition to obtain feedback from the judges. I did not expect to place in this ranking right out the gate.

Q: You also produce Vodka, Gin and Bourbon. What can you tell us about them?

Vodka Made from Raw Honey, 89 Proof: We produce a vodka made from raw local honey. We resource this honey from the beekeeper down the road. These bees forage within a 6-mile radius and the honey goes from the beekeeper’s hand to mine. We use a French Champaign yeast and ferment it in closed fermentation for at least two weeks. Forager vodka has hints of wild meadow flowers, toyon berries and star thistle. Our products support the bees, local artists for the label and our bottles are American made which support our country and minimize the carbon foot print. The vodka stands up in a three- dimensional cocktail and incorporates well with craft Tequilas. Our Forager Vodka took a silver in the same International Competition held in Denver and I have well noted corrections based on the judges notes. I can’t wait to submit to the next challenge.

Gin, 89 proof: Next to the rum is our Forager Gin, which is one of the favorites in our tasting room. Super clean with an easy floral finish. It is made with 100% organic ingredients and while not yet certified organic we are in the final phase of our application process both through the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). We hope to be fully certified this summer at which time we can note the organic certification on our bottles.

In our tasting room, we serve our gin with an organic black current tea with Meyer agave and foraged garnishment. I need to note that ice is so important to the integrity of a spirit served on the rocks. Cubes should be substantial in size to reduce watering down the spirit and the water used is critical to ensure no imparting of flavor. I highly recommend reversed osmosis or spring water be used to make your cubes. Leave the city water to cooling towers!

Bourbon Whiskey, 80 proof: Forager Bourbon whiskey is made from quality corn, rye and barley. We use a whiskey yeast sourced through Fermsolutions (Dr. Pat). We store our whiskey in 5-gallon new oak barrels for one year.

Grain based Bourbon is made through an open fermentation and all natural ageing process and placed in new barrels. Our goal was to go after the female market. Since its introduction we have garnered a following that supports our goal to increase the ranks.

Q: Where are your products currently available for purchase?

Like any spirits sold, we are required to go through a three-tiered system which means we can sell a designated number of bottles direct to consumer through our tasting room or through a distributor of alcohol. As a small craft distillery we have partnered with liberation distributors as our product distributor. We have recently engaged with some luxury resorts and high-end restaurants and lounges within the State of California. We look to carry our spirits in places that share similar convictions toward food sourcing, earth preservation and a healthy lifestyle.

Q: Do you plan to add new rums to your portfolio?

Yes, we do plan on a Rum Blanco which I envision as a cross between a Latin American rum with a bit of high esters reminiscent of a Jamaican style dark rum. That is a rum we can dance to!

We are presently experimenting with dunder pits to be used for the production of our Rum Blanco. In addition, we will use a spent rum barrel to stuff with granulated cane sugar to age in the barrel to later extract the granulated sugar and use on the rim of the glass of our Blanco rum drink and crank up the Latin music!

I’m also looking to roll out a spiced rum for the holidays for rich high caloric drinks, dark spiced soaked rum cakes and fire side sipping.

Q: At your distillery you offer tasting, either neat or in signature cocktails. Can you tell us more about these tastings? What can guests expect when they arrive? What is the cost and should people make reservations?

At the distillery we offer a four flight tasting for $20 per person and wave the fee with the purchase of a bottle. Our bottles retail for $40. Our tasting room is also licensed to mix up and offer seasonal mixed drinks (adding spirits from other local distilleries), ice cold beer from some of our local craft breweries, wine by the glass from some of our unique local boutique wine producers, and drinks for the designated driver, like organic coffee and red bull shots. In keeping with our Forager practices, our menu rotates with the seasonality of the earth, keeping it fresh and natural. A couple noted favorites are:

1. Roasted Pear Mojito made with oven roasted pear- muddled with mint, a squeeze of fresh lime and a dash of barrel aged whiskey maple syrup and Forage Rum with a splash of Momma Boy Apple Cider.

2. Strawberry Basil Margarita made with our Forager vodka from raw honey – muddle the strawberries and basil, add the Forager vodka, topped with house made margarita elixir and topped with sliced strawberries.

We are simple and unpretentious in our presentation, creating a comfortable environment to

relax and enjoy both food and spirit. When you walk through our doors expect a warm welcome and invitation to taste our spirits neat or in a seasonal craft cocktail. Our tasting room is petite in size, warm in atmosphere and has been playfully referred to as the “bee box”. on a busy night you will experience a comfortable gathering, lively conversation and occasionally standing room only. No reservations required. Our tasting room hours are Thursdays/Fridays 5-9pm and Saturdays 3-9pm. Monday through Wednesday we are open for special events and will take reservation for tasting.

We regularly host special education and social events ranging from face to face interaction with our local beekeeper and a surprise introduction to the queen bee, a class on creating classic cocktails, or a cocktail and food pairing. Most of our events can be resourced from our website or @centralcoastdistilleryforager. Reservations for special events are highly recommended. When our door is open, you are welcome.

Q: What advice do you have for people who dream to own a distillery?

Use your capital wisely. Don’t be dazzled with the beauty of a high priced still. A large still can’t produce a small test run. Start with something small and high quality. Take the time to work at a small craft distillery for at least a few weeks.

Educate yourself. Enroll in my introduction to distillation class through the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Continued Summer Education program. http://extended. calpoly.edu/Programs/life-and-Culture/ brewing.html

Learn the trade and ask a lot of questions. Join and meet with folks that are active in the business of distilling spirits. Have an end in mind. What are you going to make? What is it going to taste like? Who is your consumer/market? Determine who you want to compete against. Most importantly, be passionate about it or don’t do it at all!

Q: If people want to contact you, how may they reach you?

They can visit our website at www.centralcoastdistillery.net, email me at cheferic@centralcoastdistillery.net or call by phone 805.901.6094. I'd love to connect.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Just want to get a very heartfelt thank you at “Got Rum?” for the awesome opportunity to share my story, passion and interest in the world of rum.

Much like the rise of and respect of Tequila, Rum is taking its place on the stage. Straight Bourbon whiskey is about at its saturation point, good aged bourbon inventories are low, many whiskey distilleries have been purchased by foreign investors only to seek profit over exceptional quality. Pure vodka has been a star, but now fills the pages of the distribution catalogues. A good floral gin was in, but rum is the new humm and I’ll take some of that barrel aged rum any day of the week!

Margaret: Thank you again Eric, for sharing your story and passion with our readers! I wish you much success and recognition for what you are doing, you are elevating craft distilling into gourmet distilling!