The Rights One

"Ketel One believes in making spirits that not only taste good, but do good. I'm doing good in my community with my cocktail, The Rights One.

The Rights One features flavors that my home – Minneapolis, Minnesota – is known for. Bright honeycrisp apple, peppery sorrel, savory thyme, and spicy ginger are balanced with fresh lime and amontillado sherry.

Minneapolis is known for some wonderful things, like the creation of the world's best apple varieties, but it's also known for the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protests of 2020. I am proud of the way my community came together after this tragedy to collectively fight for Civil Rights through protest. A crucial aspect of protesting is knowing your constitutional rights, and I'm using my project to help people know their rights when protesting or interacting with police.

Each drink comes with a QR code sticker that navigates to several organizations fighting for Civil Rights in the United States, including the American Civil Liberties Union. From there, people can learn about their rights when protesting, or they can choose to donate to these organizations. Diageo has partnered with the ACLU for nearly two decades, donating to projects like this one.

This effort doesn't stop in Minneapolis, however. I'm providing bartenders around the world with a toolkit full of resources to implement similar projects in their own communities. They can use the recipe for The Rights One or their own Ketel One cocktail to spread the message of Civil Rights. 

The Rights One

Glassware: Highball / Collins
Garnish: Fresh Mint and QR Code Sticker
Method: Combine all ingredients except Club Soda in a shaker tin with ice. Shake briefly, then strain over ice in a Collins glass. Add soda, stir gently, and garnish.

Ingredients:
45 ml Ketel One Family-Made Vodka
90 ml MPLS Mix

To make MPLS Mix:
30 ml Club Soda
22 ml Sorrel Thyme Honeycrisp Cider
15 ml Ginger Syrup
15 ml Amontillado Sherry
8 ml Lime Juice

Sub Recipe - Sorrel Thyme Honeycrisp Cider:
500 mL Honeycrisp Cider
80 grams fresh Sorrel leaves
50 grams fresh Mint leaves and stems
20 grams fresh Thyme sprigs
6 Orange peels
1 Cinnamon stick
4 Green Cardamom pods
Add Cinnamon and Cardamom to a pot over low heat. Toast until fragrant. Add herbs and cider and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes, then turn off heat and allow to cool. Fine strain.

Sub Recipe - Ginger syrup:
4 parts fresh Ginger Juice
4 parts White Sugar
1 part Ginger Scrap (after juicing)
Combine in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool completely, then fine strain."