Elsewhere, our blood orange apertivo, was created on a whim last year while we were pressing blood oranges for an eau-de-vie. We wound up with lots of really arromatic peels and a rich pulp that we just couldn't let go to waste. So as we juiced the oranges, we added the pulp and the peels to a bath of our Blingnova vodka. It was finished with botanicals and a dose of sugar to get us to Elsewhere. And of course there's our bottle -- with our mystery girl, sitting in the window of a far off place -- an invitation to find yourself elsewhere.
2020 Elsewhere was an unplanned delight. We drank it plain, from small ornate sherry glasses.. and when it was all but gone, we decided we didn't want to let her go. But we'd be curious to watch her travel.
So,
2021 Elsewhere. Made with whole fresh blood oranges -- juice and all. In a bath of redistilled botanical off cuts. What does that mean? Well, we have created a library of over 100 botanical distillates. During the distillation, we create "cuts" -- keeping only the most perfect and quintissential flavor/aroma fractions of that botanical for the distillation for the bottle. The franction that doesn't make it? We create blends of these off cuts and re-distill them. Creating a melangerie, a highly alcoholic bouquet or garden in high alcohol form. It repurposes our waste into these interesting and layered bases that are perfect for creations like Elsewhere.
Expect it to taste a similar profile from last year -- but just a bit more polished, a bit more juicy, a bit more blood orange. The botanicals are the same, some sourced from Rare Tea Company for the first time, the rest from Burlap & Barrel; pink peppercorns, cloud forest cardamom, quassia, pemba cloves, gentian, Indian cinnamon bark, wild cherry bar..
We love Elsewhere on its own or with a cube of ice. But lets say you are feeling like mixing it up, then try this:
Approaching memorial day, a simple spritzer with seasonal fruit is quite appropriate. As well, it's easy to make. You can chop up some fresh strawberries and simmer them with 1 ancho chili pepper until they release the delicious juices (about 30 min on low). No need to add sugar--the strawberries are subtly sweet. Add that to Elsewhere, Hunter Moon Immature Brandy, over ice and top with soda water. Pairs perfectly with dipping you toes in the water.
Seawall Spritzer
1.5 ounces Strawberry Preserve
1/2 ounce Lime Juice
Soda Topper
In a glass (or poolside plastic cup) of choice, combine ingredients over ice. Top with soda and lightly stir. Strawberry garnish.
