Simple Sips At Home Campaign

This week I have joined the Simple Sips at Home campaign with Simple Vodka. The mission is to fight hunger by raising funds and awareness for Feeding America.

Many Americans suffer from food insecurity, a household’s inability to provide enough food for every person to live an active, healthy life. In the United States currently, 1 in 7 people struggle with hunger. That’s more than 37 million Americans. Many households that experience food insecurity do not qualify for federal nutrition programs and need to rely on local food banks and other hunger relief organizations for support.

Because of the crisis caused by COVID-19, more Americans are affected than ever before. People who never experienced food insecurity or hunger are looking to resources such as Feeding America and local food banks for aid, food, and meals.

By creating this cocktail recipe, Simple will donate 1250 meals to Feeding America in The Independent’s name. We’ll also be posting the making of this recipe to our Instagram page on Wednesday.

Simple Brown Butter Lemon Cocktail

Ingredients (Serves 4)

6 oz Simple Vodka

1 lemon (juiced and zest removed)

1/2 c water

1/3 c granulated sugar

1 Tbsp agave syrup

1 egg white (room temperature)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c sparkling water

1/2 stick of unsalted butter

Plenty of ice

Directions

In a small sauce pot, make the simple syrup by combining water, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Bring to a simmer and stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Once dissolved, let the syrup sit and steep for five minutes, then remove the lemon zest and add half the lemon juice and the agave syrup. Stir the mixture to incorporate these ingredients, then put your simple syrup in the fridge to cool.

Now, place the butter in a small sauté pan or sauce pot over medium heat. Continue to stir the butter with a small rubber spatula throughout this process. Once you see the butter start to foam and you can smell the nutty aroma of the milk solids browning, you are close. DO NOT overcook; you’ll have to start over if you do. Once you see the butter turning a light brown, take it off the heat and continue stirring about another 30 seconds.

Pass the melted browned butter through a mesh strainer, or better yet, a cheese cloth if you have it. You’ll be left with little brown bits of milk solids. Place them on a paper towel and set them aside until you’re ready to assemble your cocktail.

Okay, cocktail time. Set up four rocks glasses loaded with ice. Grab a cocktail shaker or some sort of container with a lid if you do not have a cocktail shaker. Now whisk the egg whites in a metal bowl until they are foamy and aerated. Fill your cocktail shaker two-thirds of the way with ice, in with the rest of the lemon juice, in with the Simple Vodka, in with the lemon simple syrup, and finally in with half of the whisked egg white. Then shake vigorously. Distribute the crisp, delicious, frothy libation evenly throughout the four rocks glasses, filling each about three-quarters of the way up.

Top each off with a splash of sparkling water. Finally, dust the foamy top of the cocktail with the brown butter bits and garnish with a lemon peel. Hope you enjoy!

Simple Vodka’s mission has always been to fight hunger in America. Since Simple launched, it has donated over one million meals to those in need through local and national hunger relief organizations. As long as non-essential businesses are closed, Simple is doubling its usual contribution of 20 meals donated per bottle produced to 40 meals per bottle sold. That’s 1 drink = 2 meals (the usual motto is 1 drink = 1 meal).

Simple also launched an online shopping experience at www.simplevodka.co/buysimple. You can use the code 1DRINK2MEALS, for 20 percent off the order.