“Located on a fifth-generation farm in the black dirt region of Orange County, New York, we are a true farm to bottle craft distillery. Our focus is on quality, not quantity. We grow everything on our farm that we need to produce quality spirits. Quality ingredients, small batches, hands-on processes.” – Orange County Distillery
So at 9am last Saturday morning as I sampled farm-to-bottle whiskey, gin and vodka at Union Square Green Market, the Orange County Distillery representative told me of the farm’s proud reputation of with-care farming, harvesting of its own crops and even bottling done on the farm.
With that fact, I instantly thought of wine. In tall and sleek bottles with labels that read: family owned vineyard/grapes selected from one vineyard/bottled on premises. I don’t know about you, but those few words printed on the back label can sure sway me to drop $25 – $30 for a bottle of red or white.
I always drink whiskey but decided to buy a bottle of Vodka. Made with Sugar Beets, it did indeed have a sweeter taste and easier for me to enjoy. Using beets for this purpose is nothing new, but it has been breaking ground recently as US consumers lean more towards sustainable consumption.
Now, I’m no bartender but my Screwdriver made with Blood Orange juice, Agave nectar and muddled fruit is a perfect cocktail to sip on summer days like this one.
1 jigger or 1.5 oz. of OCD Sugar Beet Vodka
1 Strawberry, diced
5 Raspberries
1 tsp of Agave nectar
3 ½ oz. Blood Orange juice
Angostura Orange Bitters
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the fruit and add ice cubes, vodka, agave nectar and juice. Give the shaker 5-7 good shakes. Pour in drinking glass and add two dashes of Angostura Orange Bitters.
Notes
– You can use a shot glass to measure if you don’t have a jigger.
– The above recipe makes one serving, if you want to make a pitcher for friends you can measure 1 part Vodka to 3 parts juice.
– If you don’t have a shaker, this cocktail can be stirred, nothing is a problem when liquor is involved.
– I don’t drink with ice or add too much ice in the shaker to dilute the drink.
