This Bottega Café cocktail is home grown.
By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson Bottega Café’s cocktail menu boasts local flavors. Topping off the list is “Sprout and Purr,” which includes a cold pressed juice—Quench, by Sprout and Pour. Quench is a nutritious blend of romaine, mint, apples, celery, pineapple, and parsley.
Sprout and Pour is Birmingham’s first, cold pressed, juicery. And its juices are sourced with fruits and vegetables from local farms. The business has grown from a farm stand at Pepper Place Market to a juice and smoothie bar, located on Oxmoor Road in Homewood. Amanda Blake Turner and her husband, Andrew, began the juicing business as a result of her illness and how juicing helped her recover. Most of us do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. Thus Sprout and Pour products provide a natural way to include more in our diets. I first tasted a “shot” of the Quench before tasting the cocktail. And I admit that upon first glance its very green appearance made me suspect to how delicious it could be. But I loved it and plan to become a regular at their Homewood location, trying more of their products.
Spout and Purr cocktail is served in an old fashioned, Champagne coupe. The cocktail is apple green with a white frothy top, garnished with lemon peel. In addition to Quench, the cocktail also contains Cathead Vodka, which provides the “purring.” And a dose of tincture of lemon peel adds flavor and additional health benefits, beyond those of the Quench’s veggies and fruits. This tincture mixture is prepared from and includes lemon peel, which is far more nutritious than lemon juice. The drink is a lovely balance of ripe, fresh garden flavors with hints of celery, and notes of lemon predominating. Try it. You will like it. And it is good for what ails you.
Published,
B-Metro magazine, May 2015