Fruity drinks once meant pink-hued, sickly sweet headaches waiting to happen. Then sparkling water in flavors like pamplemousse took over the world. Now, local breweries and distilleries are finding new ways to bring light, refreshing sips to last all summer long.
Moonshine: Belle Isle Blood Orange
Moonshine moves away from its bootlegger brand with Belle Isle’s organic corn base for a bright and bracing flavor built to combat hot, summer nights. “There are a lot of niche spirts,” says Brandon Day, marketing director, and “not everyone is a career bartender.” With that in mind, Richmond-based Belle Isle moonshines—made with organic juices, or for the honey habanero flavor, locally harvested products—is meant to be more user-friendly: add club soda and ice. Done and done. // Find at Virginia ABC stores
Hard Seltzer: Solace Brewing Company Voda
Those slim cans that taste like La Croix but are somehow alcoholic are technically a malt beverage, which is why you’ll see hard seltzer at breweries this summer. And, with hard seltzers as one of the fastest growing segments in beer, “we decided to give it a try,” says Jon Humerick, co-owner of Solace.
Voda, Czech for water, is made with blood orange extract, has a slight sweetness that’s also dry and crisp, says Humerick, and a little bubbly. At 4% alcohol, “you can drink a few of those and it’s not going to ruin your day.” // Only available: 42615 Trade West Drive, Suite 100, Sterling
Sparkling Ale: Suncrush Southern Peach
Made from the team behind Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Richmond, this session (4% alcohol) sparkling ale is a spin on a kolsch-style beer that’s been highly carbonated. Flavors include tangerine and grapefruit, and peach debuts this summer. It has the appeal of light-drinking hard seltzer but the bona fides of a craft beer. Or, says co-founder and brewmaster Patrick Murtaugh: “It’s not complicated. It’s something you want to drink on the beach.” // Find at MOM’s Organic and Wegmans
Vodka: Falls Church Distillers Frozen Falls Infusions Cherry & Ginger
Because of the steam-infusion process (fruits and roots sit in a basket as vapors pass through), this fruit vodka shows a “more subtle flavor than squeezing a lime,” says owner Michael Paluzzi. It’s also, he says “healthier drinking”—lower in calories than a glass of white wine—because there’s none of the sugar or carbs added, just fruit essence. The test batch debuts this month. // Only available: 442 S. Washington St., Suite A, Falls Church
This post originally appeared in our June 2019 issue. Want more Food & Drink content? Subscribe to our weekly food newsletter.
