It started with an Apple… Apple Pie Moonshine

The following appeared in the Yakima Magazine, a monthly publication of the Yakima Herald News. 

We have been told for centuries that it started with an apple. After all, it was Eve who was tempted by the luscious red orb and plucked the first forbidden fruit from the tree. It started once again in Washington State when the oldest state’s apple tree was brought from England and planted in 1826 by the Hudson Bay Company. In the 1900’s, Swedish immigrants settled in the Yakima Valley and contributed to the first orchards in the valley — an area now known as Swede Hill.

Photo By Grit City Photography

Once again it started with an apple when Kevin and Pamela Milford’s mission was to create a product out of this popular fruit. It made sense from a business standpoint, being this raw material was plentiful, living in the heart of apple country. It made sense from a regional standpoint, since Washington State is known for apples around the world, and it made sense on a personal level since Pamela’s grandparents were among the immigrants who planted the orchards — making it a perfect area for Swede Hill Distilling to settle, and call home. 

Kevin started his journey into the home beverage business when he first became a student at Washington State University. With the knowledge he obtained at the library, Kevin stored that information, and would later apply it to building his own still, and distilling in his kitchen. Long story short, the Milford’s can boast their attention to detail from the apples picked from their family orchards to the hand labeling on every finished bottle of Swede Hill Apple Pie Moonshine. 

Today, the Milford’s join the growing group of micro-distilleries that are all the rage in Washington State. In the beginning of 2008, there were no craft distilleries in the state, and now there are over 100. Market Watch Magazine reported earlier this year that according to the American Distilling Institute (ADI) in 2003 there were only 60 craft distillers operating in the United States. Today there are around 760 in the U.S.,   with at least 200 craft distillers currently under construction. 

Do you drink your Swede Hill Apple Pie Moonshine straight or on the rocks? The answer is, “Yes.” There are many ways you can serve up a “helping” of Apple Pie Moonshine. A splash of bourbon here or a few shots of caramel vodka there — it is almost endless. In fact, when it comes time for dessert, with several scoops of vanilla ice cream and a blended dollop of peanut butter, you can enjoy your Apple Pie ala Mode. Cheers to your health, “An apple a day… ”

Catie McIntyre Walker - Author