Food and Beverages

Lane County is enjoying a wave of new business in the food and beverage industry. Eating and drinking establishments are popping up left and right, and what better time to check them out than during the summer?  This sunny season is a great time to take advantage of outdoor seating areas and enjoy a break from the Oregon rain with some tasty bites and a drink or two. One Chamber member distillery has some big plans for their highly-anticipated opening later this summer – Swallowtail Spirits. We spoke with Kevin Barrett, CEO and co-founder of the award-winning spirits label, to gain his unique perspective on the advantages of being in Springfield, trends in the industry, and what we can look forward to in this new addition to downtown Springfield.

When asked why he chose Springfield to start his business, Barrett says it’s because he wanted to support the local community that he’s from.

“Springfield needed a revitalization, a shot to the arm. It’s been great to see the downtown area start to pick up and rival with other cities. People are comfortable coming here and walking the streets, and Swallowtail aims to be the place where people can come out to the edge of town and keep going if they want, down to Island Park. Downtown was previously condensed only to one block, and we’re trying to stretch it out a bit.”

“Downtown was previously condensed only to one block, and we’re trying to stretch it out a bit.”

When asked about how the summertime season affects business, he said the impact is huge. “Summer is the busiest time of year for distilled spirits, at least clear ones, specifically vodka and gin,” he said, and that “people want to spend time outside and will go out of their way to get out of the house, and we want to be a part of it.” 

Customers are definitely going to have a lot to look forward to when it comes to the planned outdoor area. It will be south-facing, which means plenty of sun. According to Barrett, he’s hoping it’ll accommodate about 60 people, with ability to convert to a concert venue without too much effort. “We’ll have a covered enclosed area that will store whiskey barrels in the back half, and be a stage in the front half. We’ll have 25,000 watts of power with multiple speakers for outdoor concerts and an outdoor bar so people can grab drinks without having to go back inside.” Barrett used to be a sound engineer and DJ, and he’s tying that into the mix of the building. “We’re hoping that our first big concert will be period music from the 1920’s and 1930’s.” Food will be served from other local establishments such as Mezza Luna, and possibly some food carts as well.

The aesthetics of Swallowtail will feature 1920’s-30’s art deco design on the interior and exterior. The decorative lamps and 1937 maroon bathroom sinks already show evidence of the time period, and the chain link fencing outside will be replaced with a wooden fence also featuring art deco designs. The original windows will be opened up, offering a gorgeous afternoon view in the west direction. Barrett mentioned over half of the materials in the building are recycled and reused, including fence panels and a full cabinet. He purchased them from BRING Recycling and from auctions of other businesses; “we’re supporting local businesses”.

“Distilling in particular has grown in size, almost doubling every couple of years following the same trends that micro brewing did 10-15 years ago. Brewing statistics has been slightly dropping, with wine as well. Craft distilling seems to be getting a larger foothold in the market share.” He also mentions the gaining popularity of farm-to-table businesses. “People care about craft: who made it, and how it was made. I enjoy letting people see and experience that, and hopefully becoming a part of it. We will also be offering classes to teach people about the distilling process.”

“People care about craft: who made it, and how it was made. I enjoy letting people see and experience that, and hopefully becoming a part of it.”

We asked Barrett if he’s seen any trends in the food and beverage industry for Lane County as a whole. 

Swallowtail has some pretty great collaborations under their belt as well. There’s a whiskey with Ninkasi based on their Oatmeal Stout. “We imperialize the whiskey, which is doubling the grain and alcohol in the beer, but we leave the hops and vanilla out, and distill that. It’s then put into oak barrels. The oldest one we have currently is two and a half years, and we try to put down a couple barrels a year.” Another is a gin collaboration with celebrity chef Chris Cosentino, who owns Portland restaurant JackRabbit and others in San Francisco and Napa. Cosentino is known for winning Top Chef Masters, competing in The Next Iron Chef, and his appearances on Iron Chef America. This gin hasn’t launched yet, but we know it’s going to be a cloudy and hazy gin! We also look forward to their McKenzie River Whiskey, a five-year-old corn whiskey that is finished in King Estate Pinot Noir casks. 

While they are currently still working out some final kinks, Barrett says they’re pushing as hard as they can to open at the beginning of August. “We’re at the moment missing tourism traffic; every beautiful night that goes by is a missed opportunity.” We’re eager for them to join the downtown Springfield scene, and we’re confident that they will be a wonderful addition!

Swallowtail’s new location will be located at 111 Main Street. To find out more, check out their website at http://swallowtailspirits.com.