Blood Orange Vodka and Bites at Bluewater Organic Distilling

The Chew Crew originally had other plans, but when Bluewater Organic Distilling sent out word that this year's batch of blood orange-infused vodka was ready, we decided those plans could wait. Bluewater was gracious enough to provide everything reviewed here as well as an informational tasting of all their spirits.

Erika’s Review

Every time I've sat down to write this review, I've wondered how to appear impartial. When I walk into a place like Bluewater Organic Distillery, where they truly care about the same things I do: local sourcing, a lack of industrial foods, crafting each ingredient from scratch, I've already drank the (organic, local, from scratch) Kool-Aid. But when a place uses a review as an opportunity to really start a conversation about these things, I've lost any chance to do anything but fangirl over them.

In short, I love Bluewater.

The care that they put into every aspect of the meal comes through immediately in the cocktails. John Lundin, the owner of Bluewater, explained that while he appreciates a spirit-forward cocktail, he wanted a menu that was more about the fun of enjoying a good drink. That idea was totally apparent in my Blue 75 (basil vodka, gin, simple syrup, raspberry, house peach liqueur, lemon and champagne), which was a fruity, refreshing and very cold way to enjoy some basil, vodka and gin. The drink was exactly what you'd want at a late lunch with friends—easy and fun to sip no matter what you ordered to eat.

I feel lucky to be a part of the Chew Crew because we always seem to be on the same page, and choosing the appetizers was no different. We all chose the roasted florets without hesitation, and were coaxed to also enjoy a plate of the salmon croquettes. Either appetizer would have shined on its own, but the pairing was exquisite.

The florets were the epitome of a roasted vegetable—browned but still boasting some crispness. The croquettes, absolutely packed with salmon and drizzled with a sesame garlic sauce that really made the dish.

I chose the Milltown Caesar as my entree, and could not have been happier with my choice. To me, any classic dish at a restaurant is really made by the touches the chef uses to make it their own. This particular version came with crispy capers that snuck their way through the kale and romaine leaves to add pops of briny saltiness.

The Milltown Caesar salad // Erika Taylor

The chicken was perfectly cooked, and the Parmesan crostini spoke to my crouton-hating heart. I love when a dish contains all of the expected components, but does it in a way that makes the dish more pleasant and easy to eat.

In a show of generosity, we were also surprised with bananas foster cheesecake, which was everything you want a dessert to be. Not too sweet or creamy. Each bite was set off by the crumbly graham cracker crust. Though I felt full and satisfied, I'm glad they didn't let us leave without dessert.

Bananas foster cheesecake // Erika Taylor

Bluewater Organic Distillery is one of those places that seems to genuinely care about what they're doing. They put effort into every part of each meal and drink, and it shows, but what was really impressive was the way the staff interacted.

Reviews that are done when the restaurant knows you're coming always have some aspect that makes it different than a regular meal would be, but it's impossible to fake the kind of camaraderie I saw behind the bar and in the kitchen.

This is a group of people who care about what they're doing, deeply, and they seem to care about each other while they're doing it. That kind of authentic effort and warmth would make any experience at Bluewater enjoyable, and I can't wait to go back to check out more of what they're doing.

MELLZAH'S REVIEW

The Convergence Zone cocktail // Mellzah

We arrived at Bluewater Organic Distilling as they were photographing their new specials for Mardi Gras, all bathed in the perfect light flooding in through the windows (brunchers who ‘gram, take note!). I ordered a Convergence Zone, made with a base of Earl Grey-infused house vodka to which they add lemon, ginger-infused simple syrup, triple sec, fresh mint and peach bitters. It’s a lovely cocktail, balanced and light, its mild sweetness making the infused vodka sing.

I also got to try their limited edition blood orange-infused vodka solo, and the quality is hard to overstate. It’s crisp but without the burn that I tend to associate with drinking straight spirits, and the blood orange flavor was distinct but gentle.

I knew immediately I would be ordering the glorious panko crusted beauty that caught my eye when I walked in: Dungeness crab rustic mac and cheese. And this was before I knew about the poblanos in the bechamel sauce, which would have sealed the deal if there was any doubt (there wasn’t).

I love a bit of spice with anything cheese-heavy, and Bluewater isn’t shy about bringing the heat along with copious amounts of pecorino, provolone, and fontina served brown and bubbly atop lumps of fresh crab meat in a casserole dish, scattered with herbs and edible flowers.

Because of the aforementioned cocktail, I may have looked at it a little too lovingly when it was set in front of me, sizzling and beautiful. So beautiful it felt like it was a shame to eat it—but the bigger shame would have been not eating it, because it was everything my tastebuds hoped when I read the menu description and everything my eyes promised it would be: creamy, spicy, crunchy, crabby.

CHRISTOPHER'S REVIEW

Over the years I've learned that roasting is absolutely the best way to get good flavor from vegetables, but broccoli is the hardest to get right at home. That's why I'm always excited to order it at restaurants. Bluewater takes the time to cut their broccoli and cauliflower down to the smallest florets, cooks them just enough, then invigorates them with a chili garlic sauce. The flake sea salt is expertly applied, bringing the seasoning level exactly where it needs to be.

Salmon croquettes and roasted broccoli // Christopher Bragg

The wild salmon croquettes are moist and flake apart easily, obviously not mixed with excessive filling. Upon first glance, the drizzle of orange sesame glaze seemed a little sparse, but it packed a tasty punch and there was no need to have a lot of it like with a typical dip.

The entree menu and fresh sheet at Bluewater aren't large, and that's a good thing; everything on them as well as the specials board sound fantastic. I had to go with the chef's special beef and lamb wrap because I don't get to eat lamb often enough and am always tempted by specials because of their fleeting nature.

And when I heard this one had an olive tapenade?

Sold.

It's a wrap that's a little difficult to keep together while eating, but it's so good you won't mind grabbing the fork to go after the stuff that fell out.

Even though I love a chowder, a creamy soup that's not overly thick like a chowder really hits the spot as a side order. This one would have been excellent with just its tender chicken and chewy mushrooms, but the generous amount of fresh tarragon really elevated it.

The blood orange vodka is fantastic on its own, and I nearly ordered it with soda as my cocktail. The Nola La Land special won out because I've been on a ginger kick for a couple of months now. Thankfully, the mixologist wasn't as heavy-handed with the ginger as I might have been and blended it perfectly with the blood orange vodka, triple sec, genepy and lemon, making the Nola La Land crisp, cold and refreshing.

I reflexively pass on dessert when it's offered but I'm glad nobody listened to me because the bananas foster cheesecake was a lovely surprise. The chef somehow managed to caramelize bananas without turning them mushy, and their sweet firmness provided a really nice transition between the crunchy graham cracker crust and the creamy-firm cheesecake.

Drop by Bluewater soon to give their current specials a try, or any time. They're always up to some good. You don't need a special occasion to go, but your day will definitely be special once you get there.

Bluewater Organic Distilling
1205 Craftsman Way #109
Everett, WA 98201
(425) 404-1408

Erika, Christopher and Mellzah formed the Chew Crew in 2019 after realizing they could try more dishes in more restaurants by joining forces. They triple-dip in and around Everett as often as possible.

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