ADVANCED MIXOLOGY
ON TAP
Crafting the Perfect Pour By Mathew Powers
F
rom grapefruit IPAs to citrus gins, the addition of fruits to beer, spirits, and of course, cider has grown immensely popular. Even sake fans are enjoying fruited variants these days. However, adding fresh fruit is a daunting process, so most masters of fermentation use concentrates or purées. That’s where companies like The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley come into play. The Perfect Purée was founded by Tracy Hayward, who drew on her culinary experience to produce high-quality pureés. The Perfect Purée sources crops from growers committed to improving the health and vitality of the entire farm environment, which leads to better outputs. The quality impresses even the fussiest of drink makers. “I’ll go all the way to Hawaii to find the appropriate ingredient,” says Chris Brownrigg of Brownrigg Hard Cider
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in Seattle. “That’s how I found The Perfect Purée, in my search for a high-quality tropical ingredient.” Before discovering The Perfect Purée, Brownrigg felt most purées tasted cooked and jammy, especially in peach and tropical flavors. “The stabilization process is hard on fruit and degrades the flavor.” In contrast, he explains that culinary-quality frozen purées retain the bright flavor of freshpicked fruit, noting The Perfect Purée White Peach possesses a mimosa-like quality, which works perfectly in the cidery’s White Peach Basil Cider. The White Peach is one of more than thirty flavors offered by the brand. The Austin-based Meanwhile Brewing Company, director of brewing operations Nao Ohdera says, “The Perfect Purée’s products are great for us because the quality is definitely there, and the wide array of flavors allows us to be even more creative.”
The Perfect Purée helps impart fruit flavors into a wide variety of products. There’s no need to peel, dice, or juice. Breweries and distilleries can stock facilities with purées, concentrates, zests, and blends.
