The Oregon spirits scene is one of the hottest in the country right now, with micro-distilleries popping up all over the place. It's a heady time for all...and it makes Portland the epicenter for consumption of all those delectable products---usually in cocktails concocted by the local mixologists!
Enter J. Witty, a worldly and well traveled restaurateur who is consumed by an interest in good taste derived from natural products. After several years of exhaustive experimentation and persistence Witty managed to come up with a perfect concoction that not only uses all natural products, but also expresses a unique flavor statement.
Where most liqueurs are mass-produced by large corporations and generally (okay, almost exclusively) use synthetic chemicals and manufactured essences on top of the simplest and cheapest of grain neutral spirits (translation: as little flavor as possible, made as cheaply as possible), Witty insists on top quality organic botanical components.
But when the philosophy is stripped away, and only the flavor is left, the flavor becomes the most important thing. So how does the J. Witty organic chamomile liqueur taste?
Pretty darned good!
Witty wisely elected to stay relatively low on the sugar scale---it tastes a lot closer to the 2.5% minimum than the 35% maximum sugar allowed---and perhaps more important, it's a softer, gentler style of sweetening from agave nectar and cane sugar that is in harmony with the pleasantly delicate aromas and flavors of the chamomile and spice base. This would be perfect as a light, slightly sweet, delicate after-dinner drink, or used judiciously to enhance and expand the flavor of a cocktail.
On a side note, and circling back to the original philosophy espoused by Witty, the chamomile dregs left after fermentation and distillation are provided to local Portland gardeners as a fragrant compost, thereby completing the cycle back to the earth!
So, good quality, responsibly made, and totally sustainable. What more could you ask of a liqueur? Perhaps, another serving?
Oh, and the next time your Great Great Aunt Genevieve smiles as she gently sips her chamomile tea---you might look at what she sweetened it with.
For more information on this delicious organic chamomile liqueur, go to check out their website. You should be able find out where to buy it, and there are some great cocktail recipes and ideas to stimulate your own creativity.
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