COUNTRY: United States
REGION: New York City
Joe McDowell is the founder and distiller of Acid Spirits, a Brooklyn based distillery turning food waste and unconventional ingredients into expressive spirits.
At Acid, Joe is interested in taking things that would otherwise be discarded and finding a new purpose for them. Using vacuum distillation, he transforms food waste and overlooked ingredients into spirits that capture the character of the original ingredient. The work is rooted in local sourcing and close collaborations with farmers, restaurants, and food producers throughout New York. The result is a collection of spirits that challenge traditional ideas about what belongs in a bottle.
Acid puts the ingredients at the center of the experience and asks what can happen when something considered waste is treated as something worth distilling. Joe began his career in the craft beverage industry while in college, managing a craft beer bar before working at a homebrew shop and eventually moving into production brewing. His experiences with fermentation, ingredients, and flavor eventually led him to start Acid Spirits in 2022.
Acid is certified by the Slow Food Organization. More Info Here
PRODUCTS
Coffee
Collaborator: Cafe Grumpy
Base: Neutral Grain Spirit with Coffee Grounds
Process: Spent cold brew coffee grinds recovered from Cafe Grumpy are distilled under vacuum to create a rich, aromatic spirit with notes of roasted coffee, cocoa, and subtle caramel. The result is full flavored and balanced, with a lingering coffee finish.
ABV: 40%
Celery
Collaborator: Farm.One
Base: Neutral Grain Spirit with Celery
Process: Celery grown at Farm.One and destined for the compost is recovered and distilled under vacuum, creating a bright, savory spirit with fresh vegetal character, subtle herbal notes, and a clean, crisp finish.
ABV: 40%
Smoked Tangerine
Collaborator: n/a
Base: Neutral Grain Spirit with Celery
Process: Tangerine rinds recovered from a local juice producer are slow smoked for four hours over oak chips before being distilled under vacuum. The result is a bright and delicately smoky spirit with concentrated citrus character and a subtle candied tangerine finish.
ABV: 40%
Seaweed
Collaborator: Violet Cove Oyster Co.
Base: Neutral Grain Spirit with Celery
Process: Sugar kelp harvested by Violet Cove Oyster Co. on Long Island is distilled under vacuum at peak season, capturing its fresh marine character in a bright, savory spirit. The result is clean and aromatic, with subtle salinity and a delicate vegetal character.
ABV: 40%
Pepper
Collaborator: Eckerton Hill Farm
Base: Neutral Grain Spirit with Celery
Process: Scorpion peppers grown at Eckerton Hill Farm are distilled under vacuum, capturing the pepper’s intensely fruity and floral character while leaving behind the heat. The result is an unexpected and deeply aromatic spirit that tastes unmistakably like scorpion pepper without the burn.
ABV: 40%
Smoked Grapefruit
Collaborator: Place des Fetes
Base: Neutral Grain Spirit with Smoked Grapefruit
Process: Grapefruit rinds recovered from Golden Ratio are slow smoked over oak before being distilled under vacuum, creating a bright, aromatic spirit with fresh grapefruit character and delicate smoke. The result is vibrant and citrus forward, with subtle oak and a clean finish.
ABV: 40%
Chai
Collaborator: Dona
Base: Neutral Grain Spirit with Chai Spice
Process: Spent chai spice recovered from Dona’s production process is distilled under vacuum to create a warm, aromatic spirit with notes of cardamom, black tea, and baking spice. The result is layered and expressive, with a rich spice character and a dry finish.
ABV: 40%
