Short Path Distillery is in it for the long haul. Since they opened their doors in June of 2015, the founding trio has been on a steady flight path, producing thoughtful spirits with a technical approach. The craft liquor-makers are experimenting with taste at their Everett distillery, with more products in the pipeline for the coming year and a slew of events and initiatives that keep up the social side of imbibing.

The brains behind Short Path came together over Scotch. Jackson Hewlett and Matt Kurtzman met through mutual friend Zachary Robinson and all three took part in a casual Scotch Night where they chipped in cash to split bottles of high-end, single malt whiskies. The shared interest in spirits soon became a hobby, which morphed into a business plan, which became fund-raising and real estate hunting. The collaboration of the founding trio plays to each of their strengths: Hewlett earned a Master’s in civil engineering, Robinson pursued organic chemistry and Kurtzman studied business. Their areas of expertise influence their distilling process, with an emphasis on precision and quality.

Before Short Path launched, they quite literally taste-tested to formulate their flagship gin. During early research and development, the team had access to an NMR machine (that’s nuclear magnetic resonance, for those not in the know) thanks to Robinson’s chemistry work. They were able to analyze their gin recipe at the molecular level and rejigger flavor profiles, displayed as peaks, to align complementary tastes. After 30 or so iterations, they landed on their final product: an American dry style gin with a balanced blend of botanicals rather than the juniper-heavy pine profile of a London dry gin. Kurtzman breaks it down: “You get some really nice floral notes from the lavender, some spiciness from the coriander, citrus flavor from the lemongrass, and then finally the eucalyptus gives a cool menthol finish.”

Beyond their flagship bottles, Short Path keeps busy with innovative releases at their Everett space. They’ve expanded their portfolio with golden rum, a new gin recipe, triple sec and Greek ouzo. “We’ve added things that we liked and were excited to try,” says Kurtzman. “And we were put in a unique position with our pouring license which allows us to do any type of cocktail we want but the catch is we can only use spirits that we make.” The addition of triple sec, a liqueur Short Path considered “ripe for disruption since it gets a bad rap,” exponentially increased the drink possibilities at their tasting room.

One of Short Path Distillery’s aims is to keep the local community connected with initiatives like their CSA (Community Supported Alcohol) program. Members can opt in with a $65 fee for benefits like Short Path swag, discounts and pre-ordering of new 375 ml releases. CSA members also get to give their two-cents on the spirits, helping transition the releases (branded with an egg) to full-fledged products (branded with a bird). Blueberry gin, apple brandy, fortified mead and a barrel-aged triple sec are on the horizon, but in the meantime you can stop by the tasting room for seasonal drinks featuring their current line of liquors. Keep an eye on their upcoming events (like a Better Bagels Bloody Mary Brunch Sunday, May 1st) and visiting hours for a taste of what’s in flight.