Check out our “Spirit Cheat Sheet” in today’s issue of Seattle Weekly – on stands and online now – where our resident bartender helps you decode the modern day cocktail menu, with a focus on liqueurs, aperitifs and digestifs that frequently make appearances in Seattle’s best bars and restaurants. Plus, check out these local distilleries that handcraft their own spirits – interesting spins on classics like vodka and gin: Here’s a few worth checking out:

Rain City Spirits: They make their own vodka with natural spring water from Mount Rainier. But we also hear that their “Coffee Liqueur” – a blend of their “King Street Vodka,” Caffe Vita coffee and a touch of pure cane sugar – is phenomenal. They’ll soon be offering a two-hour “Basics of Distillation” course. 4660 East Marginal Way South, Unit 6; 206-464-7246

Batch 206 Distillery: They call their “Mad Mint Vodka” a “blizzard in a bottle” and the ingredients are all natural—the peppermint is grown in Washington and the concoction is sweetened with Pacific Northwest beet sugar. Their “Counter Gin” is an infusion of grain spirits and eight botanicals—juniper berries, cucumbers (from Pike Place Market), lavender flowers from Washington State, tarragon, verbena, orange peel, Meyer lemon peel and English orris root. Stop by their bottle shop Wed-Friday from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. or Saturday from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.; 417 Elliot Avenue West; 206- 216-2893

2bar Spirits: They make an 80 proof “Moonshine” from Washington state corn and vodka from locally-grown wheat. Their tasting room is open everyday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. 2960 4th Ave. South; 206-402-4340