Part of what makes autumn so special is its distinctive characteristics: colorful leaves, crisp air, and cozy fabrics are synonymous with fall. As summer fades and the leaves begin to change, so too should your wine cabinet. While summertime warrants light-bodied wines and can be chilled for added refreshment, autumn calls for warm flavor notes helping take the chill out of the air. Discover these five fall wines recommended by Columbia Distributing’s Wine & Spirits Team.
Charles and Charles Double Trouble Red Blend (Washington; ABV: 14.2%)
Double Trouble Red Blend is made of 58% Syrah and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon; with the Cabernet Sauvignon fermented whole berry, and the Syrah fermented largely whole cluster (with stems). It has notes of blackberry, white pepper, black licorice, and cocoa with hints of smoked meat.
HopWTR is a non-alcoholic beverage that blends the refreshing qualities of sparkling water with the bold flavors of hops.
Overview
HopWTR was founded to provide a satisfying alternative that combines the crispness of sparkling water with the complex, hoppy flavors typically found in beers. This innovative approach caters to consumers who are looking for a flavorful, refreshing drink without the buzz.
Per HopWTR’s site, the blend includes adoptogens (ashwagagandha) to help moderate the body’s response to stress and nootropics (L-theanine) to help boost cognitive performance. Additionally hops have a natural calming effects thanks to their flavornoids and essential oils. It’s also packed with Vitamin C – and to make life all the sweeter, HopWTR is sugar free, keto and vegan friendly, and has zero calories.
Product Line and Flavor Profiles
HopWTR’s product line includes a variety of flavors, each infused with hops to deliver a distinctive taste experience. Available in 12oz cans.
Hop Flavored:
Classic: packed with Citra, Amarillo, Mosaic and Azacca hops, delivering a piney, earthy flavor that reminds you of your favorite IPA.
Double-Hopped: cold dry hopped and micro-filtered to deliver an extra bold and piney hop experience. Our OG blend was dry hopped with additional Mosaic hops to make it their hoppiest brew yet.
Fruit Flavored: all made with Citra, Amarillo, Mosaic and Azacca hops.
Black Cherry
Blood Orange
Lemonade
Lime
Mango
Peach
Ruby Red Grapefruit
Variety Pack includes: Classic, Blood Orange, Mango, and Lime
Wondering what to stock in your cooler if you’re thinking about adding HopWTR to your portfolio? Start with the top three flavors in the PNW:
Ruby Red
Blood Orange
Peach
Each flavor is designed to be as versatile as it is delicious, making HopWTR a great choice for enjoying on its own or pairing with a meal.
Find HopWTR
HopWTR offers a sophisticated and satisfying alternative to traditional soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. It’s ideal for those who appreciate complex flavors, looking to reduce or skip alcohol consumption, or simply want a refreshing drink that stands out from the typical sparkling water options.
We proudly distribute HopWTR products throughout Oregon and Washington. Contact your local Columbia Distributing rep or office to add it to your portfolio or menu.
After spending seven years conducting research and development, Jason Momoa and Blaine Halverson, launched Meili (MAY-lee) Vodka in 2023. It’s a premium spirit known for its exceptional quality and a refined flavor, allowing it not only to be used in a cocktail but also sipped neat.
Origins and Production
With sustainability in mind, and being conscious of its carbon footprint, Meili Vodka is crafted using local grains and pure water from an ancient aquifer in Montana. And its only distilled once, incredibly unique for a vodka, however it results in its smooth, clean taste.
“It’s this beautiful water source that comes off this limestone shelf – 300-million-year-old aquifer. It looked like Avatar – I had never seen so much life at a water source, where there’s snow everywhere. We come to find what makes it so special is that there’s no sodium in that water. The salt is really what takes away some of the notes that you taste in that from our grains, and it’s high in calcium and sulfur. That’s what gives it that unique taste.” Jason Momoa
The bottles are 100% post-consumer recycled glass, meaning no two are the same. And in 2024 the bottles will be made in the USA, meaning Meili’s entire production will be US-based.
Flavor Profile and Tasting Notes
Meili Vodka is celebrated for its subtle vanilla notes and a hint of citrus and peppery spiciness, making it incredibly versatile. If not enjoying neat (suggestion: enjoy it room temperature), a popular choice is the classic with a Meili inspired name called Tana Mule:
**Ingredients:
2 ounces Meili Vodka
1/2-ounce lime juice (freshly squeezed)
4 ounces ginger beer
Ice
Lime wedge and mint sprig (for garnish)
**Instructions:
Fill a copper mug with ice.
Add Meili Vodka and lime juice.
Top with ginger beer and stir gently.
Garnish with a lime wedge and a mint sprig.
The Tana Mule combines Meili Vodka’s crispness with the spicy kick of ginger beer and the tang of lime, offering a refreshing experience that highlights the vodka’s smoothness. During its launch tour, bartenders opted to use Meili in margaritas, instead of tequila, to highlight its unique flavor profile.
Add Meili Vodka to Your Portfolio Today
With its growing popularity, and winning gold in several vodka and spirits world competitions, Meile Vodka continues to shine in the liquor market. Wish to learn more about Meili and our spirits portfolio? Contact your local Columbia Distributing rep or local office in Washington today.
Already well-known for its ready-to-drink cocktails, Straightaway entered the Amaro and liqueur space with its award-winning Accompani line. The name is derived from the words companion and accompany as a nod to enjoy in the company of others – although celebrating the end of the week with a well-made Spritz, while solo in the backyard, is a great option.
Accompani Amaros
Accompani was created by Straightaway for its canned cocktail line. Now, it offers these Amaros and liqueurs as an easy-going, reliable option to add depth and complexity to your cocktails.
Colombia Distributing prides itself on employing motivated individuals like Alyosha Azure Schultz (Osha), who currently serves as the Canby Day Warehouse Manager. Osha’s duties include overseeing warehouse operations. This responsibility is critical to ensuring our partners receive their orders of alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic products. Here, Osha provides insight as to what it has been like working for the premier distributor in Oregon and Washington for the past 18 years.
A Day in the Life
The duties of the day warehouse manager begin bright and early, according to Osha. “I start at 5 a.m. to check last night’s production and sales, check emails, and look at today’s staffing, schedule, and workload.”
As summer winds down, it’s time to start thinking about thirst-quenching options for school lunches. Here are five great options to stock up for school – or work – lunches and to have on hand for after-school activities.
Overall Pick: Orofino Water
Simply put: Orofino is incredibly refreshing. Thanks to its stylish, environmentally friendly, resealable (and refillable) 16oz aluminum can, it’s quickly become a popular bottled water.
Orofino makes it easy to pack great-tasting water in school and work lunches and is a terrific grab-n-go option for after-school activities.
Canned cocktails – also known as ready-to-drink (RTDs) cocktails – are a popular choice with consumers, thanks to being a convenient option no matter the activity. RTD cocktails allow consumers to not worry about stocking the bar cart, pre-mixing cocktails, or having to track multiple spirits and mixers when heading out for a picnic, tailgating, or other activity. It’s simply grab-and-go.
Need a little more convincing? A 2023 study by USD Analytics Research found “the global Canned Cocktails Market is one of the lucrative growth markets, poised to register a 17.6% growth (CAGR) between 2024 and 2030.”
Let Us Introduce You to Craftwell Cocktails
Craftwell Cocktails was created by 2 Town Ciderhouse, an award-winning cidery based in Corvallis, OR. Thanks to their deep knowledge and experience of crafting innovative ciders, the team experimented with various fruits and the fermentation process.
Straightaway has perfected the art of the cocktail, allowing people to enjoy award-winning, ready-to-serve cocktails in the ease of a can and bottle. Discover the variety of Straightaway that makes consumers say: “I.N.M.O.T.I.M.L!” ( I need more of this in my life!)
Straightaway’s Portfolio
Made in Portland, OR, Straightaway’s cocktails feature top-tier ingredients to ensure every cocktail is mixed just right. It’s not just the taste that makes Straightaway a step above. It’s the convenience of a ready-to-drink cocktail for any occasion.
Summertime fun in the PNW ought to include wine on the go from Bandit Wines. Launched in 2003, Bandit Wines sprung from the idea that exploring the beautiful landscapes and wine go well together. From gathering around the campfire to beach days under the sun and any other type of summertime activity, Bandit boxed wine and other beverages are adventure-ready.
Bandit Wines Selection
Bandit Wines offers boxed wine and other beverages in different varieties. Beverage retailers in Oregon and Washington can find a vast selection of Bandit Wines products through Columbia Distributing:
If you take the amazing taste of Spindrift and combine it with a kick, you get Spindrift Spiked. The creators of Spindrift Sparkling Water took everything they knew about making premium sparkling water and developed an equally delicious, hard seltzer version.
Selection of Spindrift Spiked
Spindrift stands out by using only real ingredients. to produce a clean-tasting hard seltzer. It doesn’t add colors, additives, concentrates, or preservatives to its spiked beverages. The Spindrift Spiked lineup includes a variety of flavors to satisfy a wide range of palettes. Every option is ultra-filtered to remove impurities at the molecular level.
