The Good Life – March-April 2020

The ultra-smooth liqueur has
a distinct taste of cinnamon
before it mellows with notes of
ginger and lemongrass.
The 75 proof beverage has the look
and feel of whiskey, but is technically
a sweet liqueur. At first sip, the ultrasmooth
liqueur has a distinct taste
of cinnamon before it mellows with
notes of ginger and lemongrass. Art
and his brother Christian learned to
make Martin Weidner’s smokehouse
whiskey from their dad, the Rev.
Arthur Weidner. He taught them
the recipe in the family kitchen,
where they’d make small batches
on the stove. His dad jokes that
Grandpa Albert used to take a shot
every morning before milking the
cows because “it aids in digestion.”
Whether you believe in its digestive
benefits or not, there’s no denying
the recipe has been a big hit.
In addition to enjoying it at family
celebrations, the Weidner brothers
would gift bottles to farmers as a
thank you for letting them hunt on
their land. After receiving many
requests for more bottles each year,
the brothers thought they might be
on to something. Art began putting
things into motion and eventually
launched his company, Doodlebug
Beverages.
But what makes North Dakota
Sweet Crude different from other
liqueurs? Aside from the rich history
behind the product, the ingredients
Art uses make all the difference.
North Dakota Sweet Crude uses
natural ingredients to achieve its
distinct flavor. Most notably is the
use of caramelized sugar, which
comes from beets harvested in the
Red River Valley.
Similar products on the market
use caramelized sugar primarily as
a colorant. In contrast, Doodlebug
Beverages uses it to enhance the
flavor profile of North Dakota Sweet
Crude. In fact, caramelized sugar
is central to its flavor profile. The
ingredient is so crucial that it was
one of the biggest obstacles that Art
faced bringing North Dakota Sweet
Crude to the masses.
To use caramelized sugar in the
recipe, Art had to find a way to
produce it in large quantities. So
the brothers, who graduated from
North Dakota State University with
degrees in Mechanical Engineering,
put their heads together to come up
with a solution. With a plan in place,
the two pitched their idea to NDSU
and were awarded a partial grant
to develop the equipment. After
about three years and a few hiccups
along the way, they perfected the
machinery.
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