ingredients

A large number of alcohol beverage products are made from and with flowers. Hops is the most common and obvious example. Yesterday we showed liqueurs made from elderflowers, and today we have a few spirits products made with the rose flower. Crispin’s Rose is made with macerated petals from heirloom roses, according to its front label. Pinky Vodka is another famous example, and it’s made with “violets, rose petals, and ten other botanicals.” Finally, here is Rose Petal Artisan Vodka (Vodka Infused with Rose Petals) made by Modern Spirits of Monrovia, CA. The producer says it is:  “Made with only the petals of three highly aromatic rose varieties that the founders grew in their back yard, Modern Spirits Rose Petal captures the full range of this beloved flower “from sweet floral to spicy herbal.”

There is a lot going on with this label. First and most obviously, it’s in the style of a cream liqueur, but it’s classified as a wine. The back label is in the style of a front label. And it’s made with whey neutral spirits. Wikipedia says whey is “the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained; it is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein.” It is further evidence that wine and spirits can be made from a huge number of commodities. Dr. John Murtagh was an expert on converting whey into spirits:

Since 1979 John has been retained as a consultant to Carbery Distillers Ltd. of Ireland, on the development and operation of their process for the fermentation of cheese whey, to produce very-high-quality neutral spirit for beverage and industrial uses. He has also been responsible for the commissioning of three whey-alcohol plants for Carbery licensees in New Zealand and the U.S., and continues to visit and assist these plants.

Just when we got accustomed to mushrooms in the entree, two companies in Korea went and added mushrooms to the beverage. Tannenbaum “Mushroom Sake” is Rice Wine with Rice Neutral Spirits and Mushroom. Song-I Ju is Grain Neutral Spirits with Natural Matsutake Mushroom Flavor.