Quite an interesting package arrived today, containing three bottles in all—only one of which is a beer.

Ostensibly it’s from Double Mountain Brewery out of Hood River, Oregon, but represents more than just the brewery. Double Mountain partnered with Hood River Distillers to produce a Hopped Whiskey, something I haven’t seen before. Here’s what HRD says about it:

Whiskey infused with Cascade and Apollo hops, finished with Oregon Oak.

Co-developed by Double Mountain Brewery and Hood River Distillers, Batch #001 of Double Mountain Hopped Whiskey pays homage to the bright flavors of fresh hops. Smooth citrus and floral flavors complement the sweetness found in 100% corn whiskey. Not too harsh or bitter, Double Mountain Hopped Whiskey is the perfect sipping whiskey for Summer days, or shot for a Boilermaker.

Apollo Hops: Citrus notes, with an emphasis on orange. Cascade Hops: Most popular varietal in craft brewing. Known for unique floral character and bitterness.

As a bonus, there was a bottle of Double Mountain’s Vaporizer Dry-Hopped Pale Ale, which the insert suggests pairing with a shot of Hopped Whiskey for a hoppy boilermaker.

But that’s not all; also included, a bottle of Clear Creek Distillery Douglas Fir Brandy—an eau de vie infused with spring Douglas fir buds, which gives it a distinctly green hue. (Clear Creek is the distillery that produces the distinctive pear-in-a-bottle pear brandy, which you may have seen.) The package insert suggests a drink called a “Hop Farm Sour” which incorporates both the whiskey and the brandy in a flip-like drink that I can only imagine is… herbal. But sounds like it would be interesting to try.

I’ll report on the various liquors and the results of pairings and cocktails. One other fun thing to note, is that these bottles were packaged in burlap and hops: