Zest
You know that feeling of a perfect summer day when you just start to get a little thirsty when suddenly you’re handed a cold drink that’s tart and fresh? That’s the feeling Zest is hoping you’ll want all year long, with their new libation—Zest—a bottled vodka drink with fresh lemon juice and cane sugar.
Jake MacDowell, Zest founder, along with his partner, Justin Buchanan, have been in the liquor business ever since a college business plan led to the development of a high-end rum business, Red Harbor Rum.The rum is still sold in fancy cocktail bars, but their friends clamored for something more laid-back that they could drink. Zest was born when MacDowellsaid he observed that the popular Lemon Drop drink was a hassle to make.
“Whether you make it at a bar or at home, you have a mess if you spill the sugar or the lemon juice,” MacDowellsays. “To bartenders, time is money. If you’re at the bar and a bachelorette party comes in and orders a round of Lemon Drops, you’re going to be waiting a while for yourdrink. I know bartenders hate making them.”
He also knew that people were increasingly aware of the ingredients going into what they drank. The vodka in Zest is made in Piedmont, South Carolina, and distilled six times. The sweetness comes from cane sugar, not artificial sweeteners. And the lemon juice is from California.
“You don’t find that many bulk lemon juice suppliers in Charleston,” MacDowell says.
Friends who taste-tested the Zest during development suggested that it be less sweet, so MacDowell reduced its sugar by half for the final product. His favorite way to drink Zest is with Topo Chico mineral water and a squeeze of lemon—an upgrade from the bachelorette party crowd’s traditional sweet drink.
“Not everyone wants a sugar bomb,” MacDowell says. “Look at the market these days. Everyone pays more attention to what they eat. People care now. They want something that is natural that they can trust, especially in the liquor world.”
He says Zest stands out in a world of macho drinking culture.
“Look on their websites. It’s hard to find a calorie count or nutritional content,” MacDowell says. “They depict heavy drinking and unhealthy, heavy partying. We decided to make something light, fun and refreshing that appeals to people who want a drink but don’t want to feel terrible about their decisions the next day because they were drinking sugar water.”
Looking to add a little Zest to your life? Visit drinkzest.com for a store locator.
