Special partnership delivering first American Single Malt whiskey made locally

Two true St. Louis originals are joining forces for the good of your whiskey loving taste buds.

James Beard winner Gerard Craft and his team at Taste Bar have created a unique collaboration with David Weglarz and StilL 630 to launch The Truth, the first ever American Single Malt Whiskey from the local distiller.

The new spirit will launch on Monday, May 1 at Taste (4584 Laclede St., St. Louis, MO 63108) at 5 p.m. with specialty cocktails and 4-5 dishes paired specifically for the whiskey, available for one night only.

The story of how this partnership came together goes like this. “I originally developed the spirit in very small test batches, and I loved it so I wanted its release to be special,” said Weglarz.  “I’ve always been a fan of Gerard and his restaurants so I knew he had the palate to make it truly great.”

Weglarz approached Chef Craft and GM/Beverage Director of Sardella/Pastaria Chris Kelling to create the tiny batch, single malt barley whiskey.  “When he approached us to get behind this project, I knew that the end result was something that I would stand behind. Plus, there’s nothing better than a great whiskey after a long day in the kitchen,” said Craft.

The teams worked together to really capture the perfect flavor profile, and dialed the proof up to a stout 110 to capture the full body of the whiskey.

The result is a whiskey made from 100% single malt barley, a portion of which is smoked.  The natural smoky flavor in the whiskey complements the non-peated, American-style single malt. Although the whiskey has already won a Bronze Medal from the 2017 American Craft Spirit Awards, this will be the first official launch of the spirit.

Chef Craft elaborates, “David is an important piece of the artisan craft distilling movement here in St. Louis. ‘The Truth’ is an important mantra for our restaurant group. It’s our dedication to honest cooking and creating the best possible product. We share that commitment to care with David.”

With the small batch production, there are only 87 bottles total in existence. The spirit will be sold at Niche Food Group restaurants as well as the distillery. Bottles will also be available for purchase on launch night.

The Truth’s label design features Craft’s dog Otis and Weglarz dog Jake; watercolor portraits from Ria Sharon