Sweet Tea Vodka

The mint julep, the hurricane (the cocktail, not the disastrous weather), Southern Comfort...what do these things have in common? They're drinks from the South and they're sweet. People from the south like sweetness in their libations and a new one has blown up recently, but not only in the south: Sweet Tea Vodka.

There are vodka purists out there (other than Russians) who stick to a simple vodka martini, but no other standard liquor has spawned so many different flavors than vodka, whether it's flavored with fruit, herbs, spices or something like chocolate, coffee (or bacon!)

It's surprising that it took so long for someone to think of it, considering sweet iced tea is such a popular refreshment in the south, but the people from Firefly Distillery in South Carolina were the first ones to think of it. The vodka is distilled four times, infused with tea that is grown on a local plantation and is blended with Louisiana sugar cane. Since its embracing welcome across the country, other distilleries such as Jeremiah Weed and Sweet Carolina have jumped on the wagon and produced their own. Firefly and Sweet Carolina have also introduced different flavors of their tea vodka such as raspberry, peach and mint.

I had to try what all the fuss is about. As a testament to its popularity, the store that I first went to was completely sold out of both Firefly and Sweet Carolina's versions. I got my hands on a bottle this week though and I can describe sweet tea vodka in one word: dangerous. At 70 proof, you really don't need to mix it with anything, however some popular cocktails are as simple as adding some spring water and a lemon twist or taking the Arnold Palmer (iced tea and lemonade) and making it a "Spiked Arnold." Other people have just called this one a John Daly which I think is suiting and hilarious. Whichever way you have it though, be careful because this stuff goes down easy...a little too easy.

Pausa Cafe Beer

Pausa Cafe, which translates to "Coffee Break" in English, is a social initiative that strives to alleviate issues in two areas: coffee production and prison inmates. Coffee production because many producers fail to meet ends (and often don't) due to international trade policies...prison inmates because they find it difficult to adjust socially after being in prison because few employers will hire them despite the skills that they may have.

So the project tackled the problems by cutting out some middlemen and putting more money toward coffee bean and eventually cacao (used in chocolate) production, while training Italian prison inmates to work with these products. The coffee project started in 2004, the chocolate project a few years later and just last year, beer.

Using the coffee and cacao, this Pausa Cafe beer project has produced a line of some interesting, complex beers, distributed through B. United Imports. There are at least two former inmates that have gone through the program and are now brewing for Pausa Cafe outside of prison.

This project strikes me as intriguing for two reasons, the first being an obvious one: its philanthropic and beneficial intentions and impact. The second reason is that this is Italian beer. Italy, like France, is much better known for its wine than beer (aside from Peroni). However, I have read that the beer brewing market in Italy has expanded in the past couple of years and its good to see that something as unique as this is coming from there.

A local brewpub, Tap and Table, will be premiering some Pausa Cafe beer next week so I hope to get my tastebuds wrapped around some of this beer. If and when, I'll be sure to give an update with my impressions.