Get into the Spirit of Food Day

Posted by Greg on Friday, October 26, 2012 · Leave a Comment

It’s Food Day week here at The Back Burner. Hooray!

But you eat everyday, right? Do you really need a day set aside to remind you to eat?

Well it turns out, National Food Day (October, 24) is actually a tad more serious than that. The day’s website (foodday.org) explains that “Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food.”

Which is exciting because there are some changes going on right now in the way America sees its food sources.

“Farmers and consumers are organizing locally and regionally, creating markets close to home via farm stands, farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. Farm to school programs are found in more than 12,000 schools, in every state in the nation. The U.S. organic food market continues to outpace conventional food sales. These are signs that there is a clear and growing demand for good food from family farms.” from foodday.org

But what about spirits? Well there is also a growing trend for small batch locally produced grain-based alcohol working its way into our cocktail glasses. Though these qualify as luxury libations and are not necessarily affordable, I thought I’d bring you some ecologically-mined, locally-sourced spirits and/or organic options so you can raise a spirited glass to honor Food Day. As I said, it’s a growing movement– I can’t possibly tell you about them all. You’ll have to do a bit a research yourself into what’s available where you live. These are a few that have come across my radar however. GREG

4 Copas Tequila Made in four styles (blanco, reposado, añejo and extra-añejo), this line of carefully crafted, certified-organic tequilas is bottled in handblown glass from local Jalisco artisans (from $48)

CRUSOE Organic Silver Rum Starts with the richest and most flavorful organic molasses. To retain as much flavor as possible micro-oxygenation is utlized in much the same fashion as fine wine ($40).

Del Maguey Minero Mezcal Produced in Oaxaca, this warm, smoky mezcal is made from organic agave by independent family producers ($70).

House Spirits Distillery Aviation Gin This unique distillery was founded in 2004 in Corvallis, Oregon to re-invigorate the craft of distillation and stamp it with the taste and flavor of the Pacific Northwest ($28).

IXÁ Organic Tequila Rich, complex and with the softest finish, IXÁ captures all aspects of the agave plant in harmony ($30).

Juniper Green Organic GinThis smooth, peppery, dry-style London gin is organic and unfiltered ($26).

OYO Whiskey Offers a one-of-a-kind flavor profile distinctive for its Ohio origins. OYO Whiskey is made from 100% Ohio Soft Red Winter Wheat and is barrel aged in cooperage sealed with bees wax ($45).

Prairie Organic Vodka A clean, creamy vodka produced from organic corn grown by a Minnesota farmers’ co-op. The leftover cobs are converted to bio-fuel that powers distillation ($26).

Rhum Clément Première Canne Rum After organic sugarcane is pressed to create the base for this fruity white rum, the spent canes are used to fuel the production process ($30).

Watershed Four Peel Gin A light, modern gin with a smooth body and a unique and aromatic blend of botanicals. Layered over the juniper note that one typically associates with gin, Watershed infuses a proprietary blend of seven other carefully selected botanicals ($30).

Greg Henry writes the food blog Sippity Sup- Serious Fun Food, and contributes the Friday column on entertaining for The Back Burner at Key Ingredient. He’s active in the food blogging community, and a popular speaker at IFBC, Food Buzz Festival and Camp Blogaway. He’s led cooking demonstrations in Panama & Costa Rica, and has traveled as far and wide as Norway to promote culinary travel. He’s been featured in Food & Wine Magazine, Los Angeles Times, More Magazine, The Today Show Online and Saveur’s Best of the Web. Greg also co-hosts The Table Set podcast which can be downloaded on iTunes or at Homefries Podcast Network and was named one of The LA Weekly’s 5 favorite podcasts for food lovers.