VEEV Açai Spirit & Cocktail Recipe

Want to catch a buzz, be a trendsetter, live green and support the rainforest?

Who can resist that sales pitch? The 70-proof, all-natural liqueur Veev, seems to be a marketer’s dream. But even if it doesn’t live up to all of the hype, it can still make a tasty impact on a home bar.

Even the namei itself, a palindrome, seems artfully designed for publicity’s sake. It’s simple to pronounce and remember and sounds like the Latin root for “life” (think “viva”). Contrast that with açaí, the dark, purple berry from Brazilian rainforest palm trees on which the drink is based, which can’t even be spelled with the 26 letters of the English alphabet. This exotic-tasting fruit, which some people call a superfood, is touted to contain 57 percent more antioxidants than pomegranates and 30 times more heart-healthy, cancer-fighting anthocyanins than red wine. But let’s be honest; drinking anything that’s 35 percent alcohol for health reasons is somewhat delusional.

Veev, which also contains prickly pear, believed to combat hangovers, as well as vitamin C-rich acerola cherry and a base wheat spirit, does enjoy a very clean, fresh flavor. Served straight at room temperature, the unique, refreshing liqueur has a natural-tasting sweetness and a very smooth finish. It mixes well with soda and can replace vodka in your favorite cocktails.

The company claims to be the first spirits company in the U.S. that is carbon neutral, and their distiller utilizes wind power. Veev also puts its green into green, donating $1 from every bottle sold to a Brazilian rainforest charity. So if you worry about your carbon footprint while trying to get your drink on, try a Rainforest on the Rocks.

Origin: U.S.A.
Price: $31.99 for 750 ml.
ABV: 35%
By: VEEV

Rainforest on the Rocks Recipe

2 oz. VEEV Açaí Spirit
1.5 oz. fresh watermelon juice
8 sprigs of fresh mint
A lime wedge
A dash of sugar

Muddle the mint sprigs and the lime wedge in a mixing glass. Add 2 oz. Veev, fresh watermelon juice, a dash of sugar and ice in a cocktail shaker and then shake. Pour into a glass.