Can’t get enough of Middle West Spirits’ OYO spirits? Now you can lather up with them too. Stinkybomb Soaps and Middle West Spirits have collaborated to make three different soaps, incorporating some of the actual products used to produce the spirits.
“I reached out to Megan Green [owner of Stinkybomb Soaps] a few months ago after chatting with Andrew Levitt -Nina West’s handsome alter ego,” says Brady Konya, owner and general manager for Middle West Spirits. “I remember seeing a project the two of them had worked on together to raise funds for Project Zero -a very cool scented soap that looked like they had sliced it directly out of the middle of a Pride flag.”
Middle West has a prior collaboration with Candles for a Cause, where by-products are used to fragrance soy candles poured in recycled OYO bottles. Crafting a scented soap was a logical next step.
“Needless to say, one meeting with Megan was all it took,” says Konya, “and we were off and running with a few ideas that combined our love for Vodka and Whiskey with Stinkybomb’s unique ability to capture a little pop culture in a soap.”
“Stinkybomb is best known for our iconic shapes,” says Green. “The scents we use are simple and don’t compete from the design of the soap.”
With that in mind, crafting a soap after the tasting notes by the International Review of Spirits, Beverage Testing Institute for the OYO Whiskey: “Brilliant amber color. Aromas of fruit pastry dough, nougat, suede and buttercream with a supple dry-yet-fruity medium body and a graceful refrain of spiced nuts, dried cherry, wheat bread, and baking spices on the finish,” was a bit of a challenge for Green, but she is pleased with the final product.
“I always love the trial phase of working with our customers,” she says.”Brady was wonderful to work with. He provided general ideas for what they wanted the finished product to contain and allowed me to design the soap from start to finish.”
Like the OYO spirits themselves, the soaps are crafted in small batches from a honey base and take about four hours to produce. Some of the actual ingredients from the spirits are incorporated into the soaps for their scent and exfoliating properties.
“The OYO Honey and Vanilla Bean soap incorporates spent Ndali Estate vanilla bean pods, while the OYO Whiskey Bourbon soap has actual dark pumpernickel rye that gives it a very distinctive look and scent,” says Konya.
Currently there are three soaps available:
- OYO Whiskey Bourbon Soap with barley embedded into the soap which gives it a very distinctive look and scent.
- Ohio Vanilla Bean Soap uses the macerated vanillas used in the distilling process and extra vanilla fragrance oil is mixed in.
- OYO Whiskey. A spicy but sweet blend topped with European salt, with notes of cinnamon, caramel and honey.
“The Ohio Vanilla Bean Soap might be the only soap in the world to actually have an alcohol content,” says Green.
Finding collaborations to allow Middle West Spirits to work toward being a zero waste facility is important for Konya, and it is fun to work with other companies that share the same values.
“As our size grows we are constantly looking for creative ways of repurposing spent materials,” says Konya. “From livestock feed to dog biscuits, it is both a challenge and opportunity to look for partnerships that help bring your production facility closer to zero waste.”
Konya shares some of his favorite collaborations with Middle West Spirits:
Jenis Splendid Ice Creams: From Vodka plumped cranberries with gouda, to whiskey & pecans or bourbon & eggnog… its a partnership that we’ve loved since the moment we met them.
Rockmill Brewery: Cask Aged Belgium Trippel. Nuff said.
Brothers Drake: They’ve been wonderful neighbors and have produced several seasonal meads that are aged in our spent whiskey and bourbon barrels.
Chef Jonathan Sawyer: We both loved vinegar so much, we built a new company together! Intro Tavern Vinegar Co.
Candles with a Cause: We’ve been making vodka and whiskey scented candies for a few years now, so your home can now smell like a distillery 365 days a year!
ARC (The Adult Resource Center): We supply them spent wheat mash, and they produce delicious dog biscuits for even the most finicky of fidos.
“Nearly everything we sell in our bottle shop is the result of a strong partnership with another local producer,” he says. “We look for quality local products made by great people, that all share a strong pride for their Ohio roots. It feels great to showcase some of our favorite local producers while also helping them grow their brands for the long-term.”
Soaps are only available for purchase at the Middle West Spirits Bottle Shop, open from noon-6pm Monday through Friday. Each soap is $9.99, and the three pack mini-soap gift pack is $19.99. The Middle West Spirits retail shop is located at 1230 Courtland Ave, Columbus, OH 43201.
Photo courtesy Middle West Spirits.
For more information, visit MiddleWestSpirits.com. Visit Stinkybomb Soaps at StinkybombSoap.com.