Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar

Product Info

Blackberries grow along every fence line, every trail, every neglected corner of Seattle - they're as PNW as rain and Douglas fir. In thinking about how to translate the flavor and style of balsamic to the Pacific Northwest, I landed on them immediately. They provide a wonderful sweet and tart base, and when you ferment them slowly and let time do its work, something special happens.

The process takes about a year and two steps. First, we ferment Oregon blackberry juice into wine using Champagne yeast. Then we add a vinegar culture and leave the barrel open to air - no intervention, no added oxygen, no shortcuts - and let it slowly convert into vinegar over twelve months. We don't rush it. Time is the only thing that builds this kind of concentrated, jammy flavor.

The result tastes like the inside of a blackberry pie: sweet, bright, and a little addictive. Rich enough to reduce into a glaze, bright enough to dress a salad, interesting enough to drizzle over ice cream or swirl into a beautiful compound butter.

'Balsamic' comes from the Latin for balm — restorative, soothing. I hope it brings a little of that to your meals.

Base: Blackberries from Washington and Oregon.

Pairings: Dress roasted vegetables, reduce to a glaze for desserts, build richness in sauces, drizzle over a cheese board or ice cream, swirl into softened butter for something unforgettable.