From the Publisher: Fall/Holiday 2021
Mix it up this season and celebrate Vermont’s renowned craft beverage producers! Their innovative use of unique ingredients and skillful processes create intriguing flavors that continue to put Vermont in the epicenter of the craft beverage scene.
Even we at Edible Vermont were inspired to combine some of our favorite ingredients. Who says maple syrup can only be used on pancakes in the morning and that whiskey is only acceptable after five? And steak and eggs for breakfast? Who needs the eggs? My husband and I tried Maria Reade’s creation, Vermont Whiskey Maple Mustard Cream Sauce, on steak one morning, and Maria test-drove it on chicken and salmon for two other meals. Yep—let’s mix it up!
Distillers know how to mix it up as well. WhistlePig distillers Meghan Ireland and Emily Harrison continue Dave Pickerell’s legacy by experimenting with grains and sourcing unique barrels for finishing, from Japanese plum wine to Napa cabernet. In her book Romantic Cocktails, Clair McLafferty combines ingredients in c’mon baby, Light My Fire to create a spicy, sweet, and tart cocktail. And speaking of tarte, try Susanna Keefer’s recipe using Mad River Distillers apple brandy to create your holiday Tarte Tatin, topped with lavender cream. Who knew?
Fable Farm Fermentory transforms juice from fermented apples and other fruits into tantalizingly crisp and tingly wines, while Vasili Gletsos of Wunderkammer Biermanufaktur incorporates roasted fennel and other foraged plants into his beer. And Venetian Ginger Ale, originally formulated during Prohibition as a champagne substitute, was reinvented a century later, after more than 200 attempts. The team at Crooked Ram celebrates their culinary expansion this fall; stop by to enjoy their collection of eclectic natural wines and craft beers that pair beautifully with their Mediterranean-influenced dishes.
Social responsibility also drives Vermont entrepreneurs. We congratulate Appalachian Gap Distillery for being the first United States distiller to obtain Climate Neutral Certification and still manage to offer 15 bold spirits. Lawson’s Finest Liquids Social Impact Programs arose from their core values of excellence, authenticity, community, innovation, and fun. Slow Food Vermont, a chapter of the worldwide organization, promotes appreciation for plants, people, politics, and culture. Look for their Snail of Approval certifications at Vermont producers who earned that designation.
Whatever you do, enjoy the season, and Bottoms Up!
Marcia Lissak
