Drinkwell Soda

Welcome To Drinkwell Softers

Drinkwell Softers are lacto-fermented soft drinks based on ancient beverage making techniques.   As technologies advanced, many of these techniques for food preservation or drink making have nearly been lost.  My first experience with lacto-fermented sodas was at a Weston A. Price conference here in San Francisco.  They were delicious, refreshing and unlike any soda I had ever tried before.  I knew from that first glass this was something I wanted to make at home for my family.  Within 8 months, after lots of fun experimenting, loads of learning, failing and improving, and still more learning, we introduced Drinkwell Softers at the Ferry Plaza Farmer''s Market.

Relying on the alchemy of lacto-fermentation, we begin with whey from Organic St. Benoit Yogurt, filtered water, organic cane sugar, French grey sea salt.  When the lacto-bacilli in the yogurt whey is fed carbohydrate, in this case organic sugar, it reproduces, resulting in more pro-biotic (friendly) bacteria, lactic acid and C02 - natural carbonation.  The flavor ingredients: organic hydrosols*, fruit juices or herbal brews - are fresh, real and pure.   The finished product is a soft drink that has a clean and refreshing taste, is naturally low in sugar, and loaded with pro-biotics, electrolytes and digestive enzymes.   Although it is a simple combination of ingredients, it is a "living libation" that requires care and finesse.  Drinkwell is a labor of love, which is why I make each batch myself.

What makes Drinkwell so different from other soft drinks, sodas or even Kombucha?  It's the flavor.  With a few exceptions we use flavor ingredients that come from our farm or the farms of our friends.  This imparts a very different taste.  Delicious straight, they are loved by children and adults.  A unique, fun mixer in cocktails, and a sophisticated alternative for those looking to avoid alcohol.

Now bottling the four flavors made with Eatwell Farm Botanical Hydrosols: Lavender, Lemon Verbena, Rose Geranium and Rosemary.  Please ask for them at local markets, restaurants and bars.

*Hydrosols are aqueous solutions of essential oils usally obtained by steam distillation from aromatic plants.  They have uses as flavorings, medicine and in skin care.  (Definition taken from Wikipedia: Herbal Distillates)

For more information please contact Lorraine Ottens:

                                                        530-554-3971

                                                        drinkwellsofters@gmail.com

 

Somethings Just Don't Work The Way They Should

Loads of excitement the day our new bottles arrived.  We've been a little on hold waiting several months for that day, but eventually we got them.  Now that I finally had an 8 oz single serving beautiful bottle, new logo and label (many, many thanks to Ed in London!), I was ready to pound the pavement and meet with buyers and distributors.

Frustration doesn't quite define the feelings I've had these past couple of weeks.  I guess I am a bit crazy assuming a top that is sold with a bottle would fit the bottle!  Fortunately we soon realized the tops from our 16 oz bottles do fit, so we know there is a closure out there that will work.  Unfortunately the lead time for said top is approximately 20 weeks!  What to do in the meantime?  For now sealing wax used on wine bottles hopefully will be the solution.  Traditionally was was used to extend freshness and keep bottles from leaking (a very good thing) before the invention of the twist and crown caps.  I will be bringing the first attempts to the market tomorrow.

By the way, flavors are Rootie Bier, Hibiscus Dream and Lemon Essence.  Let's hope we have a beautiful sunny day, we could all use it!

 

Watch Out World

Our new bottles arrived today, or at least the first part of the shipment.  I spent months looking for a smaller bottle that suited our needs.  Honestly, it is a much more difficult task than one would imagine.  After giving up on a swingtop bottle that would be the size I was looking for I decided to look into other options and guess what I found?

The perfect swingtop bottle!  It is half the size of what we are currently using, made in Italy and is Beautiful.  With a little help from one of our neighbor businesses here in Dixon, along with their forklift, we got our two pallets unloaded from the truck.

So watch out world, Pepsi, Coke and Uncola, it's time for a Softer!

 

 

 

Buddha's Hand

 

The beuatiful Buddha's Hand,  Citrus medica, var sarcodactylis, is a fragrant citron originating from Northeastern India and China.  Scholars believe monks brought it from India to China where it is commonly commonly used for "perfuming" rooms.

The Buddha's Hand is very interesting to work with as it has NO juice, imagine lemon peel/zest and you can imagine the flavor, nothing like lemon juice. The flavor of the Buddha's Hand Softer works very well with the flavor of lactic acid (lacto-fermentation produces that wonderful sour tanygy flavor).  It was ot very sweet but refreshing and I thought a perfect match for good gin, (but I think lots of our flavors are a perfect with gin!). 

The season is basically over now.  I look forward to working with it again next year and am hoping to plant a bush or two (or three!) on our farm to use our own fruit.  In the meantime Blossom Bluff Orchards is a fabulous source for delicous fruit.

Here We Come A-Wassailing!

Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green;
Here we come a-wand'ring
So fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too;
And God bless you and send you
a happy New Year.

 

Tis the season for mulled wine and cider and while doing a little research on such things I came across the history of Wassail.   Wassail, or 'Waes Hail', means be ye healthy, or simply to your health.  The term and tradition of wassailing has evolved for over a millenium from a simple greeting to an actual event.  During the holidays peasants could expect their masters to invite them into the manor and offer them a feast which included a mulled wine/cider or ale.  This drink eventually came to be known as Wassail.  Later it evolved into the tradition of traveling from house to house bringing the wassail bowl along with them to share with neighbors.  Carolling was a part of this activity.  As the tradition transformed so did the recipe.  At one point it included floating pieces of toast in the bowl and it is from this we now have the term to "offer a toast" when we are gathered together (and drinking).

In keeping with the season I thought it would be fun to make a Wassail Softer.  It is sitting in the proofer as I type away, doing its wonderful magic.  By tomorrow morning, if all goes well, we will have a delicious spiced cider to enjoy and remember and appreciate a very old tradition.  And for those who really enjoyed last week's Pluto/Rose Geranium that one is coming back as well as the usual herbal flavors.

To all I wish you Wassail!

Giving Thanks

It is less than one week from that wonderful American holiday, Thanksgiving.  Family and friends will come together to share a fantastic meal, be it simple (yeah, right) or a full blown feast;  no gifts, just gratitude and gathering.  I can't think of any activity I enjoy more than preparing a meal for those I love, then sitting  around the table watching them enjoy it.

This time last year I had the flu, so no Thanksgiving for me, stuck at home sick in bed.  My biggest regret was missing out on the annual Thanksgiving Hike my son Cameron and I have done every year since he was 6 - with the exception of one other year when he had the flu!  Now he is gone for 2 years in Bulgaria working as a Peace Corp Volunteer.

In my absence my sweet family took it upon themselves to decide it was time for me to move on to the next stage of Drinkwell's evolution - wholesale.  The family vote was unanimous, sans mine, of course!  I knew taking Drinkwell to the next level was no  simple task, but they were determined, and I wasn't there to protest.   Now a year later, after an incredible amount of wading through paperwork by Cameron, Nigel and Cameron out scouring the Dixon area for a suitable site, Cameron learning how to work with plumbers, contractors and City Permits, State requirements, and on and on and on, Drinkwell HQ is a reality.  We passed our inspection the first time out.  Honestly I would not be here today without the amazing encouragement and support, and that proverbial shove out of the nest by the two best conspirators a girl could ever hope to have. 

Today I sit at my desk at Drinkwell HQ, loving my space, excited by the prospects of the New Year and eternally grateful to my adorable son Cameron, now so far away, and the most amazing, supportive, patient and loving man/partner/husband to be Nigel.

Wishing everyone a warm, healthy and happy Thanksgiving!

Cheers,

Lorraine

New for this Saturday's Farmers Market: Drinkwell Softers Base. Now you can make your own Softers at home with convenience and ease with our Drinkwell Base. A one step process, use any flavor you like, fruit juice, teas or Eatwell Farm Hydrosol (available at the farm stand or online at lavenderfarm.com). One 16 oz bottle of Drinkwell Softer Base makes 12 to 14 bottles. Drinkwell Softer Base is in our same returnable or reusable bottle and will sell for $20.00, comes with full instructions!

A Lovely Interview In Last Week's Farmer's Market E-Letter

A Softer Drink

Lorraine Ottens started making lacto-fermented sodas a year and a half ago. She and her farmer fiancée Nigel Walker of Eatwell Farm tasted one of these unusual beverages at the Wise Traditions conference hosted by the Weston A. Price Foundation. “I’ve never liked the taste of kombucha and I’m not a soda drinker, but this was refreshing, delicious and, on top of that, good for you,” she says.

Lorraine sought out a recipe and found one for “cultured coolers” in (former CUESA staffer) Jessica Prentice’s book, Full Moon Feast. After following it once, she began to experiment with batches for her family. She liked the fact that the lactofermentaion helps the body form digestive enzymes and create essential fatty acids. And, because they contained salt, the drinks made for a useful source of electrolytes.

“Nigel pointed out that it would make a great value-added product at the farmers market,” Lorraine recalls, “so I started playing with adding anything and everything we had around the farm.” She mixed a fizzy base of fermented whey, sugar, and salt with water and juice from fruit that was growing on the farm. She also soon added the aromatics – the lavender, rose geranium, lemon verbena, and rosemary — Eatwell uses for its herbed salts and hydrosols. Lorraine debuted the line — Drinkwell Sodas — at the Eatwell Farm stand at the market last summer.

“I noticed people weren’t applying the same approach to drinks that they were to their food,” says Lorraine. She started making these alternative sodas because she wanted people to think about buying organic, healthy and local when they shopped for drinks, too. Drinkwell sodas bridge that gap: all the fruit that doesn’t come from Eatwell is sourced from other local farmers, such as pomegranate from Twin Girls Farm and blueberries from Lagier Ranches. Lorraine started out using leftover whey from Spring Hill Cheese Company, but she eventually switched to whey she makes herself using Straus yogurt because it contains Lactobacillus, a beneficial bacteria.

Another byproduct of the whey-making process is yogurt cheese. Lorraine and Nigel eat what they can and feed the surplus to their chickens — on top of the feed grains they grow on their farm. “A lot of people have asked about buying the cheese,” she says, “but we’re always looking for non-soy protein sources for the chickens. And it gives them good bacteria as well, which helps keep them healthy.” 

Recently, Lorraine re-considered the word “soda,” because of its less-than-healthy connotation, and has renamed her drinks “Drinkwell Softers.”

“The goal of the drink is to offer something that is softer and kinder on the body and softer on the environment,” she says. In addition to the local ingredients, Lorraine has also taken an eco-friendly approach to packaging. She sells the softer by the glass and in re-usable glass bottles that she makes available for $1 deposit. She also encourages her customers to bring the bottles (or a container of their choice) back for refills at $.25 an ounce.

She ferments the drinks on Thursdays and takes them out to put on ice by Friday afternoon, so that by the time they're ready to be served on Saturday, they taste fresh and fruity. Customers who like the beverage less sweet can allow it to ferment further (Lorraine herself prefers it this way).

The beverages have become so popular that she’s now focusing on marketing them elsewhere. The aromatic flavors just started selling at Rainbow Grocery and Lorraine designed a custom flavor for a seasonal cocktail at the Clock Bar this summer. One of the drinks also made an appearance in a cocktail at a recent CUESA event. “I’d really like to see them on more cocktail menus around the city,” she says. “They make really nice mixers. And a great alternative for folks who aren’t ordering alcohol.”

Drinkwell Softers are also available at the Eatwell Farm stand as well as the Drinkwell stand, every Saturday.

One Benefit From This Slow Start To Spring

Here we are in the 4th week of May, and it is cold (relative to Northern California living!).  We are still getting  rain, bits of frost and that lovely cold wind.  It has been a hard Spring, to say the least.  Nigel says he can't recall one quite like this.  For the farmers it has been really difficult; too wet to plant, too cold to germinate.  The one winner in all of this? our strawberries, they are DELICIOUS and GORGEOUS!  The flavor is full and the fruit is firm and holds up well.  Of course in my world this  means I have access to some of the yummiest, FRESH & ORGANIC strawberries I have ever enjoyed.  Quick translation: Strawberry Drinkwell.

Strawberry is a fruit that ferments particularly quickly.  To get the flavor just right for the market, timing is a little tricky.  The vast majority of our fantastic regulars prefer Drinkwell because it is less sweet, but I am hoping to convert a few people away from Coke and Pepsi, and those folks love sugar.  The solution is to stagger batches by fermenting a day apart from one another and offering both or a combination of the two.  As long as the strawberries keep coming we should be able to offer it and maybe play with some combination flavors - Strawberry Rose Geranium?  Come by next week to see if it worked!

A Couple of Fun Events

This week Drinkwell is participating in some fun events;

Wednesday May 19th CUESA is hosting the Spring in Full Swing: Farmers Market Cocktail Night.  Rosemary Drinkwell Softer is featured in one of the cocktails! 

On Thursday night May 20th at 18 Reasons.Org is  18th Hour: Bonus BItes, A Value Added Affair.  Nigel and I will be serving Drinkwell Softers.  All of the presenters will have an opportunity to speak!  So please come by and see us, enjoy a fabulous variety of yummy treats and meet some great folks too!

Wed May 19	Spring in Full Swing: Farmers Market Cocktail Night
5:30 - 7:30	CUESA and the Northern California chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild (USBG) will host an evening of farmers market-inspired cocktails. Attendees at this happy hour gathering will enjoy two full-sized signature drinks and taste 10 others crafted by renowned Bay Area bartenders using seasonal ingredients hand-picked from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Imbibe, snack, and take home recipes in the name of supporting local, sustainable agriculture and Bay Area cocktail culture. Featuring food and drink from: 15 Romolo, Cantina, Gitane, Bourbon & Branch, Rose Pistola, Wexler's, Hotsy Totsy Club, Sauce, Blackbird, Il Cane Rosso, Bon Appétit Management Company, Absinthe Brasserie and Bar, Gather, and The Plant Café Organic. $30. For Tickets 18th Hour: Bonus Bites - A Value-Added Affair! WhenThu, May 20, 7pm – 9pm DescriptionThursday, May 20th; 7-9 pm, Drop-In 18th Hour: Bonus Bites - Getting More Bang for Your Buck! $5 suggested donation at the door Is "value-added" in your food lexicon? According to good 'ol Merriam Wester, val-(ˌ)yü-ˈa-dəd means "of, relating to, or being a product whose value has been increased especially by special manufacturing, marketing, or processing." In the land of local farms and hand-crafted foods, value-added refers to edibles made from a surplus crop or byproduct of production. We've gathered a handful of food artisans who create value-added products to share their treats and talk about this aspect of sustainability (both environmental and economic). Please join us for this veritable cornucopia of value-added vittles, including: - Kasu Zuke (pickles fermented in sake lees) and Takuan (daikon fermented in rice bran) from Cultured - Lacto-fermented sodas from Drinkwell Soda which sources from Eatwell Farm - Almond Butter from Massa Organics - An assortment of preserves from Happy Girl Kitchen (Oh, and we'll pour wine just to add value to the night) 18 Reasons.Org

Drinkwell HQ Progress

Progress is being made at Drinkwell HQ.  The plumbers have begun their work, running water into what is going to be our clean room - certified kitchen space.  Nigel put Cameron on to the task of finding a 3 compartment NSF sink on Craigslist and within minutes he had it.  Brand new for a fraction of the original cost, well done Cam!  Nigel and Cameron are a force to be reckoned with!  We've got our hand sink, mop sink, water filter on order.  Tables we'll get this week as well as the commercial refrigerator.

Cameron has our inspection set up for the 22nd and if all goes well and we pass we will be State certified.  Drinkwell will be available for wholesale.  Such exciting times.