This time, a tale of an alcohol problem, innovation and cooperation. A delightful relationship has blossomed between a Vermont beverage company and spirit maker; Aqua ViTea and Appalachian Gap Distillery. It all started with a big problem that turned into a big win.
Well known in much of the country for it's kombucha, Middlebury's Aqua ViTea hit a snag early on when it was determined that the alcohol content was too high in the probiotic elixir. When agents from The Vermont Department of Liquor Control and the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau came knocking on Aqua ViTea's door, owner Jeff Weaber knew there was a problem.
In this podcast, Seven Days contributor, Melissa Pasanen, tells us the rest of the story and how a fruitful partnership between these two companies brought a new product, Aqua Vodka, to liquor store shelves . She also gives us the skinny on kombucha; what's in it and how it's made.
Get more of the story behind Aqua Vodka by reading Pasanen's Seven Days article, "Middlebury Entrepreneurs Make Vodka From Kombucha."
This episode originally aired in February of 2018.
