IWNA Issue 1, 2019

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INTERVAL WORLD ■ Issue 1, 2019 59
AREA RESORTS
Sitting atop a 20-acre Ozark mountainside, overlooking
a multimillion-dollar golf course, is The Grand Crowne
Resort, located just three blocks south of Branson’s
entertainment district. One- to three-bedroom lock-off
units are available with whirlpool tubs, private balconies,
fully furnished kitchens, and washer/dryers. Amenities
are aplenty and include an indoor pool and playground.
After spending a day exploring Branson and all its fun-
filled glory, relax inside your elegant Cape Cod–style
cottage, then unwind by one of the resort’s pools, take
the family to Pirates Harbor Water Park, or have a meal
at the Salty Dog restaurant or Lighthouse Grill.
The resort offers an on-site activity center that features
a lounge with a fireplace, game room, and fitness area,
which overlooks the outdoor pool, hot tub, and kiddie
splash pad. Enjoy spacious one-, two-, and three-
bedroom accommodations, and take part in one of the
many on-site activities.
ABOVE: Chase that white
lightning down with a pulled
pork sandwich or a specialty
stuffed burger at Smith Creek
Moonshine.
A 1941 Ford moonshine hauler
is on display at Smith Creek
Moonshine.
Smith offers complimentary 30-minute distillery tours to anyone
who makes a tasting room purchase. Group tours are available by
calling the distillery directly.
BELLY UP TO THE BAR
Branson’s newest distillery is Smith Creek Moonshine, which began
with moonshine in 2015 and now makes whiskey and vodka. While
the production still is located about 4 miles away, Smith Creek has
a tasting room, retail outlet, and barbecue restaurant in Branson
Landing, the city’s outdoor shopping and entertainment mall along
Lake Taneycomo.
“I feel like a real moonshiner when we drive up there,” says
Sarah, a tasting room bartender, about the trip to Smith Creek’s
country still. “We do all small-batch distilling,” she adds enthusias-
tically, “Every one of our bottles [is] signed by one of our distillers.”
The off-site distillery makes the moonshine and then transports it in
containers to three tasting rooms: the flagship location in downtown
Branson, and two in Tennessee, both for bottling and labeling.
The distillery currently makes straight moonshine at 100 proof,
an 80-proof vodka, and 11 flavored moonshines from apple pie
to chocolate silk to salted caramel, all at 50 proof. Guests can
taste, in tiny amounts, any flavor they desire, and Sarah will guide
adventurous moonshiners through all 13 flavor profiles. All visitors
have to do is bring a driver’s license as proof of age, and belly up
to the bar.
Smith Creek’s straight moonshine has the pleasant, earthy taste
of corn mixed with the sweetness of sugar cane. The distillery’s
vodka is also made with corn, rather than potatoes, for another
unique taste. Sarah has a cocktail suggestion for every flavor the
distillery makes, and informs us that lemon-lime moonshine makes
a great substitute for triple sec in a margarita. Recipes are available
on the distillery website, so you can re-create the bar experience at
home once you settle on a favorite flavor.
So, if you’re still under the impression that moonshine is an inferior
spirit, perhaps a visit to Branson is in order to set your taste buds
straight. With so many enticing flavors and cocktails, you’ll need a
designated driver to enjoy them all responsibly. n
Carrie Dow is a freelance writer whose work appears in regional and
national magazines. When not traveling, she is the local editor of
, where she writes about Denver’s best happy hours. Dow
is also the founder of What’s Pawsitive, a website that profiles animal-based
travel and animal rescue organizations.