In the United Kingdom, William Grant & Sons UK, the makers of Hendrick’s Gin and Glenfiddich, launched a new product that reduces waste called Discarded. Discarded is a sweet vermouth infused with cascara, the discarded fruit of the coffee berry. It is made by steeping the cascara into alcohol to produce the extract which is then blended into the base of a fortified wine and other botanicals.
“The inspiration behind Discarded came from the world of coffee and cocktails becoming ever closer as day and night cultures start to combine,” Joe Petch, Global Brand Ambassador at William Grant & Sons told Sustainable Brands. “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 flavor 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.”