Acai berry marketed as antioxidant food more potent than pomegranates, blueberries and red wine
The acai palm from Brazil is cultivated for its fruit and superior hearts of palm. The palm’s small fruits are about 80 percent seed and are marketed as one of the most nourishing foods on earth. The reason is that the acai berry contains a high concentration of antioxidants, more than pomegranates, blueberries and red wine! It is featured in all manner of supplements, foods and drink.
Aside from heath food products, we now have a small variety of acai-based spirits available at Southern.
Acai spirit brands available from Southern Wine and Spirits of California
Click the image to learn more about Cedilla.
Cedilla Liqueur de Acai: Produced by Maison Leblon Distillery, maker of the eponymous Brazilian cachaça (rum) brand. This is maceration (that is, a good, thorough soaking) of acai berry in cachaça. The berries give the liqueur a ruby-red color. Cedilla, at 50 proof, is among the most innovative new products to come to market in the last 50 years! Intense fruit flavors linger on the palate for hours. At first sip, a hundred new drinks come to mind. A natural marriage with Champagne! Predicted to be the mixologist’s favorite.
VeeV: VeeV fuses the acai berry with a handcrafted, column distilled wheat spirit. The product is sustainably produced (giving back $1 per bottle for rainforest preservation) and enthusiastically supported by the importer. For the pioneer and the socially responsible.
Absolut Berri Acai: Contains no sugar and uses only natural ingredients. The acai, blueberry and pomegranate flavors are blended with vodka distilled from grain grown in the rich fields of southern Sweden. The ultimate acai martini ingredient. A trendsetter and new drink list favorite.
Van Gogh Vodka Acai Blueberry: An infusion of natural fruit and neutral spirit from the famous Dirkzwager Distillery in Schiedam, Holland.
The Acai Caipirinha
2 oz Leblon Cachaça
1 oz Cedilla
½ oz simple syrup
6 lime wedges
In mixing glass, muddle the limes and simple syrup. Add Cedilla and Leblon Cachaça. Fill with ice, shake well and pour all into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Steve Watson is a Southern Wine & Spirits Division Manager who calls on accounts located in California's Central Coast.
Comment on this blog: Share your experiences with acai spirits. Do you have a favorite recipe to share?
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