Fermentation in a can: a truly sparkling collaboration

The best things take up little space. Sometimes they are small Pandora’s boxes, ready to reveal a world once opened. Or to revolutionize a status quo explored as far and wide as the beverage market. The guys at Latta, Wilden.herbals “new partner in crime, know this well, and they – in collaboration with a well-known sign on the Roman scene, the Jerry Thomas Speakeasy – are fermenting a yet little-known and very surprising beverage: kombucha. In fact, from the union of Wilden.herbals ” organic herbal teas and the vision of Leonardo Di Vincenzo and Michele Garofalo, a line of fermented drinks linked by the common thread of experimentation was born. We had a chat with Leonardo and this is his story.

How did the collaboration with Wilden.herbals come about?

Like all the most beautiful stories it was born a bit by chance. From a mutual friendship between Nicola and me, word came to me about these guys who in the hectic Milan had decided to focus on slowness, herbs, and nature. Hence the curiosity to get to know these young people who decided to revolutionize the world of herbal teas just at a time when we were starting out with atypical fermentations from Latta.

Fermentation in cans: what is the strength of Latta’s proposal?

Consumption habits of more or less alcoholic beverages are changing all over the world, in Italy more slowly, but here too there is a desire for lighter, more natural and healthier drinks, with a great sensitivity and curiosity for novelties. Latta ‘s laboratory is a concentrate of freshness, taste novelties and bubbles.

Tell us about the production process behind the fermented products? How is one of your cans created?

Fermentation in beverages is that process that transforms a sugary must into a beverage with alcohol, carbon dioxide and all the secondary flavor compounds called fruity aromas. It tends to be anything that has sugars that can ferment. Excluding spirits, however, we are only used to knowing about fermentation of grapes (wine) barley malt (beer) and a few other exceptions such as cider. Instead, we got excited about the idea of going around the world exploring all possible frontiers of fermentation, starting with traditional and ancient beverages such as Mexican Kombucha, Pulque or Tepache , Korean Makgeolli , to combining atypical ingredients with spices and botanical herbs from spirits to recreate with fermentation some of the scents and tastes found in classic blends. We then use the can because it is the perfect synthesis of environmental sustainability and our more urban spirit.

Why did you decide to invest in fermented beverages?

This is partially and amateurishly beaten ground, in the sense that in many European and overseas venues, they approach fermentation in a way that is not always professional. We at Latta “s have changed our approach, dedicating an entire area of the venue to a fermentation lab, with two boilers for the crushes and seven fermenters of 700 liters each, taking advantage of more than 15 years” experience in fermentation now, first with craft beer and then with natural wine. This is a new frontier that we are passionate about and enjoy as well as perfectly marrying Mixology and Highballs from our fellowJerry Thomas travelers.

A mantra (or rather an invitation) that we share with our partners and all those who share Wilden.herbals’ values is to feel “Healthy and Wild.” How about you, when do you feel Healthy and Wild?

Wild when we do our own thing despite rules and conventions, often making mistakes, but always following an independence of thought. Healthy when we do it together with people we appreciate humanly and professionally and who share our same passion.

To learn more, go to frecc.it

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