Good Morning! It’s Friday and that means it’s time to talk spirits. It’s also the first Friday of Black History Month so we are going to start you off with some really incredible Black-Owned spirit recommendations in addition to our usual content. They might make for some good gift ideas for a fellow spirits lover if you celebrate Valentine’s day.
We’re also looking at how the moon influences agave and mezcal. Spoiler: it’s both divine and scientific.
(and yes I tried making a HR reference in the title… I will probably do it again)
Black-Owned Brands And The Minds Behind Them
Honoring Black History Month With Spirit
The first ever post I made with In Good Spirits actually was about Black contributions to the cocktail world, among other things. I would like to start this month by recognizing some incredible Black-owned spirit brands as a toast to Black history and excellence in this industry.
Black Momma Vodka - First up is Black Momma Vodka. Black Momma is owned by Vanessa Braxton who also happens to be the CEO and master distiller. She was awarded NY State Proclamation as the First African American Woman Master Distiller and Master Blender in the United States. Some sources state she is the first Black woman distiller in New York but that distinction does reach across the entire country, just to be clear. Braxton owns the distillery, manufacturing facility, and 15 acre farm that together create her products. Their flagship vodka is 80 proof and they have a variety of tea inspired flavored vodkas. They also offer some RTD cocktails including an espresso martini.
Ten To One Rum - Marc-Kwesi Farrell, founder of Ten To One Rum, grew up in Trinidad and created his brand to honor the Caribbean history and culture deeply ingrained in the spirit. The name is a nod to champion of Caribbean unity Dr. Eric Williams, the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. His brand was made, in his own words, as “a celebration of the culture at the heart of our product—vibrant, modern, unapologetic, and endlessly creative. As a native son of the Caribbean and a student of rum, I’m proud we’re not just rethinking the category, but reclaiming the narrative, moving past tropes and elevating the craft while honoring the people and places that shaped it.”
Du Nord Social Spirits - Du Nord Social Spirits was founded by Chris Montana and is emulating the diversity that they want to see in the world. Their portfolio includes vodka, gin, whiskey, and liqueurs that have won numerous awards. Few brands offer barrel aged gin but Du Nord is one of them. They also have Mixed Blood Whiskey, a whiskey made from a blend of straight bourbons. The brand says that blending allows them to create whiskey that is somehow greater than the sum of its parts, something that they see in their own team and in the communities that they serve. Du Nord has a strong commitment to doing good in their community and others like theirs. Citing the fact that they come from the same home town as George Floyd they say that lit a fire in them to make change. They ran a foundation that has since closed that included a food pantry and relief funds during the pandemic.
Since I can’t include all of the great brands that I would like to, here’s a link to Wine Enthusiast’s article that includes these and other brands to check out. For cocktail ideas that utilize Black-owned spirits and ingredients check out this collection from Reserve Bar and this one from The Tasting Alliance.
Deep-Rooted Mythology Around the Moon May Have Scientific Support
How Mezcal and the Moon are Tightly Intertwined
I had seen this article by Anna Bruce at Mezcalistas a while ago and saved it because I knew I wanted to write about it. I am personally fascinated by the culture that surrounds and shapes the way in which things are done or made. Mezcal is a spirit that is made with great reverence for the moon. What some may write off as mythology or superstition - like harvesting, planting, and pruning according to the phase of the moon - actually is proving to have scientific support as it becomes more widely studied. Being a person who enjoys spirituality and science this felt like a story I had to share.
Agave is a unique plant in many ways. It takes a long time to mature and the growing conditions are unlike those of most farm crops. Agave farming uses phases of the moon to advise when certain actions are best for the plant and the product it creates. With mezcal it is believed that the agave should be harvested with the full moon when the sugars of the plant are the most concentrated. Here’s where the science gets super cool and super nerdy. Agave is nocturnal and if you’re like me you might be reading this like ”???” but I’ll explain what that means real quick. Nocturnal plants are often those that live in hot, desert climates. This means the the plants respirate at night when the heat of the sun doesn’t threaten dehydration as a result. Full moons have shown to have a slight effect on nocturnal plants and their photosynthesis, the rate of respiration being one aspect of that. The increased amount of light given off by a full moon can even cause plants to exhibit phototropism, which is when a plant grows toward the source of light.
Basically what it boils down to is: the full moon may actually have a real scientific influence on the sugar concentration in the piña. The full moon indicates the optimal sugar content in the plant. Less moonlight is believed to force the plants energy to the roots making it the best times for pruning, planting, and pest control. The ancient wisdom of mezcaleros is tied to native spirituality which is significant in its own right, but there’s a reason it works, and it’s likely a combination of the mythology and the science.
Necromancing A 150 Year Old Spirit
High West is Using Science to Resurrect a Mysterious Artifact
High West was contacted after an archaeological team in Utah found a bottle of mysterious alcohol buried in a historic mining town. The bottle is thought to be 150 years old and is the only intact bottle of alcohol from this era ever found in the state. Being Utah’s first legal distillery since 1870, High West was the obvious choice to analyze the mysterious liquid. Initially they were careful to extract the liquid without disturbing the delicate, ancient cork. The sample collected was analyzed and determined to have originally been a beer since yeast was present. Those brave souls that couldn’t help but taste it for themselves reported a fruity and leathery flavor. The team decided to take a risk and uncork the bottle in order to empty it and possibly collect a sample of the exact yeast used. Once analysis of the liquid and the yeast is completed they hope to recreate - or resurrect - the beer that miners in Alta drank over a century before.
Best Video We Saw This Week
Continuing to honor Black History Month, this week’s video is from Copine’s Mobile Events, a Black-owned and operated business serving the New England area. Although they are technically dry-for-hire (meaning the event host is responsible for purchasing the spirits used at events) they provide expert guidance when selecting spirits for the events they run. They are promoting Black-owned whiskeys for Black History Month in this latest post. They offer a variety of services drawing on over 35 years of combined industry experience.
Quick Hits:
If your lover (no, Ilya.. that’s gross) is also a spirits lover consider checking out this list for a unique gift suited for new or established relationships alike.
Two barrels of extremely rare Japanese whisky are set to be auctioned in early March. They are thought to be the only barrels left from a famous distillery that ceased production in 2001.
If you’re keeping up with the court proceedings with Uncle Nearest and its receivership here’s the latest small update.
