I can’t remember when I first read about ROOT but the idea has intrigued me for a while.  A small batch liquor made by by the fine artists at Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.  I think my interest began with the simple design of the glass bottles or the maybe it was the story behind the liquor which is a revival of a pre-prohibition recipe root tea that eventually became root beer when alcohol was “out of fashion”.   It doesn’t really matter though because in Washington state you can’t get it.  In fact out side of Philly it can be tough to find.   As a part of a new breed of organic, hyper-local small batch liquors, regular and large distribution is hard to come by.  

During Maker Faire last week I sent one of my co-conspirers to Cask in downtown San Fran where they specialize in small batch liquors and fine bartending kit to look for a couple of bottles.  After a few days on the road myself I came home to this lovely 80 proof alcohol.  I have all sorts of ideas about how I could cook this down and make syrups to poor on various foods but more than that I have enjoyed sipping it over a little ice.  If you ever get a chance to try some I highly recommend it.

Also be sure to check out Art in the age of, they are a lot more than some hipster urban farmers.

Art In The Age of Mechanical Reproduction firmly believes in empowering artists producing high quality work marked by fine craft and intellectual rigor. We do so by applying the fruits of such labors to the cultural forms of everyday life, granting those who wish to engage the opportunity to do so in his/her own environment. Rather than exist at a distance in the white cube of the gallery space, we weave our offerings into the collective surface of myriad personal contexts. In this troubling epoch of industrial commodification, standardization of reproduction, and fomentation of a society of shallow spectacle, Art In The Age issues a challenge and rally cry. We fight fire with fire, subsuming the onslaught of watered down facsimiles and inaccessible displays with thought-provoking products of real cultural capital