Budweiser gin. Doesn't sound so appetizing, does it?



Though major breweries might not have the inclination for fine spirits, it doesn't mean craft breweries don't. Anchor Brewing — responsible for Anchor Steam beer — makes whiskey and gin. Dogfish Head makes vodka, gin and rum. Rogue has tried its hand at rum, whiskey and gin.



One of the most ambitious spirit portfolios has come from New Holland Brewing, of Holland, Mich., which makes whiskey, rum, gin, vodka and something that stands out among craft brewer-distillers: Hatter Royale Hopquila.



Though it just hit shelves this year, the pale yellow spirit is already among the company's top sellers — probably because there's little like it. Hopquila came into the world as an experiment: a distilled India pale ale that was dry-hopped (the process of soaking fresh hops in the beverage) for five days. What resulted was something with whiskey's pungency and tequila's flora. The makers were thrilled.



"It was just a situation of 'Let's try this out,'" said Fred Bueltmann, a New Holland owner. "The result was a happy accident."



At heart, the drink is an un-aged whiskey, leading to a third-place medal for flavored whiskeys at the American Distilling Institute's conference in May. But on the palate, Hopquila doesn't taste quite like a whiskey; the base and the hops make it a little earthier and add a bit of citrus — sort of like tequila.



"What's been interesting is the discussion of whether it is more like a whiskey or a tequila," Bueltmann said.



The more important question is how to drink it. In a cocktail, try it as a whiskey substitute, a tequila substitute or a liqueur. But it also makes a smooth shot or a sipper with an ice cube. With something so novel, the only thing to do is play with it.



Hopquila is on liquor store shelves in Michigan, Illinois and Kentucky, or can be ordered online at binnys.com and shipped to certain states. Cost is about $35.



jbnoel@tribune.com