Spirits and Spice

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If your liquor cabinet needs a seasonal shake-up, think about adding a little spice. Artisan Beverage Cooperative’s Ginger Libation is a true, old-school, Jamaican-style ginger beer that ups the ante on any cocktail it touches. The MA-made beverage is produced at the Cooperative’s Greenfield brewery, where Katalyst Kombucha and Green River Ambrosia collaborate; the two companies shared the brewing space until they joined forces in 2007 with a combined portfolio that includes fermented fizzers like kombucha, mead and ginger beer. The Libation comes from a long line of alcoholic ginger brews and can spice up your cocktail rotation subbed into summer classics, like a Moscow Mule or a Dark ‘n Stormy.

ginger libationGinger Libation is part soda, part wine and part beer. Although it was originally conceived by homebrewer Brendan Burns, the lack of malt makes it technically a wine. When Burns discovered a gluten intolerance that meant he could not longer drink his own beers, he turned to gluten-free alternatives like ginger beer and resurrected the beverage from the land of non-alcoholic soda pop. Alcoholic ginger beer (sometimes as high as 11% ABV) originated in England and had its US heyday pre-Prohibition but never quite returned to its original popularity. The Libation’s organic recipe has a base of fresh ginger root, combined with Costa Rican pineapple juice, lemon juice, lime juice and Paraguayan cane sugar for a final, fermented, boozy concoction that has a peppery kick and little bit of sweetness.

The traditional ginger beer recipe dictates ingredients sourced from overseas so, in order to honor their commitment to local farmers, Artisan Beverage Coop has experimented with different Libation varieties. The limited-edition Local Libation pairs Mass-grown ginger with New England apple cider and schisandra berry juice in place of citrus. A Blueberry Libation is in the works to showcase Maine’s best-known berry and a year-round cranberry Libation could follow shortly. You can find Ginger Libation on tap at spots like Foundry on Elm, or pick up a bottle to mix with Boston-area spirits like Bully Boy Distillers or Berkshire Mountain Distillery (to keep it local, of course). The recipes below put a spicy spin on the usual summer suspects, like an Arnold Palmer with a stronger swing and a tumultuous Dark n’ Stormy fit for hurricane season.

Arnold Palmer’s Dark Side
1 heaping tbsp raw honey
6 oz Lapsang Souchong black tea
1-2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 oz Ginger Libation
1 oz Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ragged Mountain Rum

Mix together honey and tea while still warm. Let the tea cool, then add lemon juice and adjust sweetness to taste. Gently stir in Ginger Libation and rum. Pour over ice and garnish with lemon rind. Enjoy.

Drunk and Stormy
1/4 lime, cut into two thick slices
4 oz Ginger Libation
2 oz dark rum

Fill a highball glass with ice and squeeze one lime slice into the glass. Add the rum and top with Ginger Libation. Place a slice of lime on the rim of the glass for a garnish. Enjoy.

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