CANs - The Full Picture

CANs - The Full Picture

We approach our cans with the same philosophy as we do our spirits. Flavor first. Each can is inspired by different sense memories and expressions of flavors. CAN 01 may be reminiscent of a sparkling wine while CAN 02 is evocative of a Belgian sour beer. CAN 03 encapsulates a warm Mediterranean summer.

The CAN 01 process diagram: Pilsner malt base with green gooseberry, toasted birch, oolong tea and pomelo zest macerations, then tasting, centrifuge, pasteurizing and canning. The same steps are written out below

Process

Botanicals express themselves very differently depending on what they are macerated in. To unlock all the different layers of flavors of each ingredient, they are macerated in water, Pilsner malt spirit, or kombucha. Some macerations are as short as 20 minutes while others take days. Our teas and woods are strained while our gooseberries and cherries are pressed after maceration.

As we work with fresh ingredients, it is paramount to check regularly how the flavors show up at any given time. Not every black currant bud tastes the same from one batch to another. To ensure our cans remain consistent and balanced, we take micro samples of each ingredient and determine the final blending recipe. Tough job. We know.

The CAN 02 process diagram: sour cherries, Keemun black tea, walnut wood, blackcurrant buds, maqaw peppercorns and young pine cones into kombucha and low wine, then canning. The same steps are written out below

Our can is now blended. To avoid second fermentation, the liquid is first centrifuged. This process will help clear out the blend. We are now ready for pasteurization. As you know, heat is a bit of a bad word at Empirical. Just as with cooking, flavors change greatly depending on the temperature. We then opted for a non-thermal pasteurization process. This Back To The Future machine blasts UV light onto our blend, scrambling the DNA of the yeast, and rendering it sterile. Safe cans for everyone!

After being carbonated, the blends are ready to be canned and cracked open.

The CAN 03 process diagram: carob, Yunnan tea, coffee chaff, lemon myrtle, andaliman pepper, lemongrass and fig leaf macerations into kombucha and low wine, then canning. The same steps are written out below

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