Bisbee Blue
Bisbee Blue is a rare variety of turquoise from the copper mines of Bisbee, a small town on the Arizona-Mexico border. It’s sought after for its brilliant blue color. But there’s another noteworthy form of Bisbee Blue, this one a rare gin with its own distinctive blue shade.
Bisbee Blue Gin is crafted by the team at Old Bisbee Brewing Co., a boutique brewery located in Brewery Gulch, the rowdy, historic heartbeat of current-day Bisbee.
Although the mines have been closed for decades and the town suffered greatly through the 1980s, ’90s and early 2000s, in the past few years it’s seen a renaissance sparked by tourism. Old Bisbee Brewing Co. is one of the drivers of the rebirth. Established in 2010, it quickly became a place to enjoy a quality brew in the taproom or on the patio overlooking the goings-on in “The Gulch,” as it’s been known to locals practically since the town was founded in the late 1800s.
But why would a successful brewery branch out into … gin? Master Distiller Brandy Fischer says the reason was simple: “Vic likes gin martinis,” she replies with a laugh. Founder Victor Winquist was a winemaker for 40 years and moved to Bisbee to retire but found his next project in brewing beer and now making gin.
It may seem surprising to find a gin distillery in a mountain town far from major population centers or even traditional distilling regions, but the Mule Mountains surrounding Bisbee are also home to one of gin’s key ingredients: juniper berries. Winquist, a dedicated hiker, hand harvests some of the berries used to make Bisbee Blue. The rest come from Italy and Macedonia, and according to Fischer, each adds its own unique characteristics to the spirit.
Fischer makes the gin in the London Dry style and uses a combination of 11 botanicals to yield its citrusy, herbaceous flavor and eye-catching color. Coriander adds lemon and citrus notes, while licorice and angelica roots create the dryness typical of the style. Orris root, lemon peel, black pepper, allspice, star anise and cassia also contribute. Finally, butterfly pea flowers add the jewel-like blue hue.
“They’re all married well together,” says Fischer. She adds that the formula is exact and even a small variation can have a dramatic impact on the final product.
Following a process and precise measurements comes easily to Fischer, who took on the gin job with no prior distilling experience. But she spent years in food service and hospitality and she’s also a baker, a role where precision is a necessity for success.
Fischer’s husband, Grayson, is the brewmaster at Old Bisbee Brewing Co. The couple came to Bisbee on a whim to celebrate his birthday about six years ago. Enchanted with the town, they quit their jobs in Phoenix and moved to Bisbee. Within months, they were establishing themselves in a place with an art-centric culture decidedly different from the Valley of the Sun.
With her bartending and bookkeeping skills, Brandy landed a job at the brewery. Grayson soon followed, taking a spot as the assistant brewmaster. She soon became the general manager, and when the former brewmaster and distiller quit, Grayson moved into the lead position. He wanted to focus on making beer, so she learned to run the still and make the gin.
“For me,” she says, “the process of making it is still a learning experience. I didn’t really have an appreciation or understand the philosophy of gin, but it’s a fun thing to constantly learn.”
The process is straightforward: Fischer begins with high-quality, 192-proof grain alcohol, which is vaporized in one of the two 53-gallon stainless steel stills with copper tubing at the distillery in Palominas, a few miles outside Bisbee. The botanicals sit in a basket at the top of the still, and the alcohol vapor passes through on its way back down the tubing to become liquid once again. After the distilling is complete, the gin is reduced to 90-proof and colored, then piped into a large stainless steel storage tank where it waits for bottling. Everything is done by hand, from the measuring and crushing of the flavor components to the bottling and labeling of the finished product. Currently, Fischer says she can produce about 200 gallons a week.
Even though Fischer is learning on the job, the quality of Bisbee Blue Gin has never varied. “That’s because it’s made with love,” she smiles. Judges bear that out—in 2022, the gin received three gold awards, four silvers and one bronze at various competitions in the U.S. and in 2023, Bisbee Blue Gin gained a bronze award at the prestigious London Spirits Competition.
In addition to distilling the gin, Fischer also does most of the marketing. Right now, her focus is on building distribution in Arizona, but eventually she would like to buy a bigger still and move into California, Nevada and Texas. Currently, Bisbee Blue Gin is available at Total Wine, AJ’s, several small liquor stores, and bars and restaurants in Tucson, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Prescott and Yuma.
Oh, and another word about that blue color: When you add lemon juice or tonic to the gin, it turns a lovely shade of pale pink because the pH changes. Laughing, Fischer said that’s a big selling point with bartenders.
