A vodka made from fog? San Francisco’s Fog Point gives drinkers a unique taste of the Bay
Produced by California vodka brand Hangar 1, the US$134-a-bottle Fog Point offers something new for curiosity seekers while also drawing attention to water conservation in an area hard hit by drought
Despite its plain potato roots, vodka comes in some wild varieties. You can buy milk vodka, bacon vodka, fresh cut grass vodka, and now – perhaps strangest of all – fog vodka.
Fog Point contains extracts of fog from San Francisco where, to quote the late San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, it filters “through the harp strings of the Golden Gate Bridge”.
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A poetic concoction steeped in regional atmosphere, Fog Point was created by two organisations: FogQuest, a charity based in Ontario focused on water projects, and Hangar 1, a vodka brand that produces fresh, experimental strains from Californian ingredients.
The aptly named Chris Fogliatti, a volunteer for FogQuest, and his team trap fog with mesh sheets that resemble giant plasters. Strategically placed around the San Francisco Bay area, the sheets capture condensation which is then mixed with vodka derived from a Californian wine called Le Cigare Blanc. The resultant limited edition spirit, dubbed “premium redeemed” by the fashion site trendwatching.com, has garnered intense publicity; even at US$134 a bottle, it is often sold out.
Countering any suggestion of grime – the Bay Area is one of the most polluted regions in the US – the vodka is advertised as “an extraordinarily crisp, pure and gluten-free sipping vodka with elegant hints of pear, citrus, and honeysuckle”. It raises the question of what mixologists might dream up next.
