This Earth Day, you can go green by planting a tree, recycling, or by…drinking vodka?
Manhattan’s Our/New York distillery is partnering with non-profit organization ReThink Food to launch a limited-edition batch of sustainable basil-infused vodka in select locations across NYC just in time for Earth Day on April 22.
The spirit, named Our/New York Basil, is made with surplus basil from Brooklyn-based urban farm Square Roots. The herb is hand-chopped and added to a base mixture before being infused for 24 hours. The infused liquid is filtered, distilled, blended and finally hand-bottled in the distillery located in Chelsea.
“We’re thrilled to align with local partners to repurpose this beautiful ingredient and use it to create something truly unique – a ‘sustainable spirit’,” said Dave Ortiz, founder and local partner of Our/New York. “Working with a fresh ingredient like basil is an intricate process, requiring a lot of time and care to get just right. It’s a complex, yet familiar flavor that makes for a really compelling drink on its own or in any number of cocktails.”
Our/New York developed the project in collaboration with ReThink Food, whose mission is to reduce food insecurity and create solutions that lead to a more sustainable and equitable food system. The drink is the outcome of New Yorkers coming together to repurpose otherwise perishable products into exciting new ideas.
“There is a collective urgency to create lasting change in our food system, especially in such challenging times,” said Matt Jozwiak, Rethink Food’s Founder and CEO. “We are very excited to be partnering with Our/New York and Square Roots to reduce food waste and raise awareness on food insecurity.”
According to ReThink Food, 70 billion tons of good food go unused each year. In New York City alone, about 3.9 million tons of wasted food end up in landfills each year. NYC Food Policy reported last year that 20% of this waste is generated by restaurants and caterers.
The sustainable spirit will be released in a limited-edition run of just 1,800 bottles at select retailers, bars and restaurants across the City for Earth Day.
For more information on Our/New York, visit their website at ournewyorkvodka.com, or follow them on Instagram.
