William Grant & Sons has launched a sweet vermouth infused with cascara, the discarded fruit of the coffee berry.
Called Discarded, the beverage takes what would be wasted and re-purposes it “to bring a new flavour dimension”.
William Grant said that, until recently, cascara was regarded as a waste product in coffee production and has been used as fertiliser on coffee plantations. As an ingredient, it is deep red in colour, and rich and fruity in flavour.
The idea behind Discarded originated from the brand ambassador community at William Grant & Sons, and in particular Joe Petch. Inspired by emerging trends in vermouth and coffee, Joe started working with baristas to understand more about cascara, learning of its taste and blending capabilities.
William Grant said that, until recently, cascara was regarded as a waste product in coffee production.
“The inspiration behind Discarded came from the world of coffee and cocktails becoming ever closer as day and night cultures start to combine,” said William Grant & Sons global brand ambassador Joe Petch. “Two years ago, one of my barista friends gave me some cascara which I started to experiment with and blend with a variety of vermouths.
“What I found was that cascara is deep, complex, rich and fruity in flavour which makes the sweet vermouth more accessible and versatile in mixology. I have tried many vermouths in my career and Discarded is nothing like what I have tried before.”
To make Discarded, cascara is steeped into alcohol to produce the extract. Once the infusion is ready, it is blended into the base of a fortified wine and other botanicals.
Tom Stannard, global marketing manager of innovation at William Grant & Sons, added: “We live in an age where single use is increasingly untenable. What others have wasted we have welcomed and made the distinguishing feature in Discarded. In everything we do, we want to embody our brand purpose and to champion the Discarded.”
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