THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2019 // 13
in a strip mall.
Inside, the tasting room is spacious and
minimally decorated, with much more
of a suburban café vibe, minus the long
wall stocked with spirits and liqueurs.
Like I just mentioned, It’s 5 is a tasting
room and one that plays by the OLCC’s
rules. A fl ight of four for $10 measures
up to about one single 2-ounce shot and
is meant to entice purchases for off-site
consumption.
One innovation that It’s 5 has intro-
duced is to mix “mini cocktails,” as Man-
ager Amanda Hanshew put it, with reg-
ulation pours. They keep a wide variety
of mixers on hand for those uninterested
in tasting the straight hooch, but who are
more concerned with how these spirits
interact with their favorite cocktail bases.
Think tiny, tiny screwdrivers and gin and
tonics. Look for little bloody Marys this
summer.
Born in Cashmere, Wash., the Sea-
side location is It’s 5’s fi rst Oregon tasting
room. Though the shop quietly opened in
mid-December 2018, owner and former
chef Colin Levi is actually celebrating
the 10th anniversary of his ever-growing
brand this May. As with many small-batch
purveyors, certain items fl oat in and out
of stock, but they seem to have a steady
stream of the usual suspects, including
bourbon, gin and vodka. Hanshew whis-
pered to expect ouzo and aquavit in the
future.
From a fl ight of four I was able to taste
their fi ve-year, single-barrel, 90-proof
bourbon which had a nice hint of spice
Dining Out
and a full-mouth feel. One of their new-
est products, Eve’s Apple Pie, a moon-
shine-based liqueur in which every bot-
tle is spiked with a cinnamon stick, tasted
exactly like that: apple pie. On its own, it
was too sweet for my tastes, but Hanshew
said that many customers like to pour it
straight over vanilla ice cream.
Out of my last two sips, I was able to
almost faithfully recreate one of the sig-
nature drinks posted on It’s 5’s web-
site, its5distillery.com. Levi has curated
a massive collection of recipes using the
brand’s offerings.
The Grappa Gimlet is a showcase for
It’s 5’s Northwest dry gin. Subtle, well-
rounded on its own, this award-winning
spirit plays easy with the earthy tones
of the grappa, and a squirt of lime adds
plenty of sharp contrast.
The recipe below is used with per-
mission and is for a full pour. Bottles not
included.
Grappa Gimlet
2 ounces It’s Five Gin
1 ounce It’s Five Grappa
2 ounces lime juice
Ice
Shake and pour over ice cubes and serve in a
highball glass.
— Recipe by Colin Levi, owner of It’s 5 Distillery,
and shared by manager Amanda Hanshew,
manager of It’s 5 Artisan Distillery and Espresso
in Seaside.
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Judy Atkinson
‘Th is Fragile Earth’ is theme for a call for art
ASTORIA — Submit your artwork
themed “This Fragile Earth, Our Island
Home” to the Grace Episcopal Church art
show honoring the memory of longtime art
instructor at Clatsop Community College
and Grace Episcopal member Jean Barney.
Artists of all ages are invited to sub-
mit up to two pieces of their artwork to
this show. Submissions are accepted from
2-4 p.m. Friday, May 31, in the Parish Hall
at the church, 1545 Franklin Ave.. Art must
not exceed 24-by -30 inches, be profes-
sionally presented and ready for display
with no glass or glass edges or sawtooth
hangers.
Entry forms are available mornings at
Grace Church and at various galleries. For
additional information, contact the church
at 503-325-4691 or graceastoria4691@
gmail.com