Bloomed Again

Bloomed Again: A Collaboration Crafted Over Several Evenings Drinking Drinks and Talking Drinks

Suggested Serve

Enjoy it in a shandy, or mix it with soda water, grapefruit juice, and a dash of saline solution to create a lower-alcohol variation of a salty dog. 

Into The Bottle

We’re excited to announce the release of Bloomed Again, a liqueur born from an impromptu collaboration between friends; distiller Leslie Merinoff Kwasnieski and Talitha Whidbee, owner of Vine Wine in Brooklyn. This project was driven by a shared fascination with preservation techniques and the transformative power of ingredients—essential tenets of both traditional and modern food and drink.

At the heart of Bloomed Again is a focus on three distinctive ingredients: ume plums, purple and green shiso leaves, and yuzu, all fresh. The ume plums provide a deep, tart foundation, evoking the practice of preserving them in salt, a method that intensifies their flavor while softening their astringency. Shiso, with its vibrant, herbaceous character, brings complexity, while the citrus-forward yuzu adds brightness and balance. These ingredients, both individually and together, embody time-honored processes brought into the bottle, preserving the fresh, bright flavors of summer and carrying them with us into the colder months.

The design of Bloomed Again also speaks to this transformation. The label, reminiscent of tinned fish, nods to the idea of preservation—evoking the tradition of storing and saving food and flavor for the future. It suggests the interplay of utility and beauty, much like the liqueur itself. This symbolism is a quiet homage to the act of safeguarding flavors, as well as remixing them into a new, refreshed form.

At 31% ABV, Bloomed Again offers versatility in application. Enjoy it in a shandy, or mix it with soda water, grapefruit juice, and a dash of saline solution to create a lower-alcohol variation of a salty dog. The salinity plays against the acidity of the grapefruit and the natural complexity of the liqueur, creating a layered, refreshing drink that echoes the salt-preservation of ume plums.

Leslie and Talitha approached this collaboration not merely as drinking buddies but as practitioners excited by the possibility of calling on tradition through the lens of modern distillation. Together, they have crafted something that both honors and redefines the familiar, allowing us to experience these ingredients anew.

Bloomed Again has been available at Vine Wine and is now available on The Drop Shop. Let us know how you use it! Tag us with your creations @matchbookdistilling