Matchbook Distilling, Daytrip Blueberry Amaro 187ml

Blueberry Amaro, 16% ABV

Long Island, New York, USA

The blueberries come from a NJ family farm that’s devoted itself to this one fruit. The trays of berries are so ripe they’re practically bursting before they even hit the fermenter. The berries are foot-tread and fermented quickly, with daily cap puchdowns. The fortification blend is a botanical mix of yuzu, makrut lime leaf, cherry blossom, lemon peel, coconut, and cinnamon — all combined with a house-made, organic NY corn spirit, fermented and distilled on-site. For sweetness, a syrup that’s a little cheeky, a little nostalgic: cornflakes steeped in hot water and sugar, then blended with a whole pound of Madagascar vanilla beans from Rare Tea Cellar. The cereal adds toast and cream notes; the vanilla brings warmth, depth, and a certain indulgent softness. Together, they give Blueberry Daytrip a sweet edge that’s generous but not cloying. To balance it all out, orris root, gentian root, and quassia bark lend structure — a musky, woody, fruit-skin kind of bitterness that lengthens the finish and pulls the sweetness back to earth.

It’s a bottle meant for transition: aperitif or digestif, sipped neat or swapped into a late-summer Negroni (1 oz gin, 1 oz Daytrip, optional dry vermouth). Or poured over ice at a picnic, on the beach, in the last light of September. This is Blueberry Daytrip. Drink it while the days are still long.

Matchbook Distilling Co. is known for its experimental, ingredient-driven approach to spirits production. Matchbook is the brainchild of distiller Leslie Merinoff-Kwasnieski. She and her team produce an immensely diverse set of spirits built around the abundant produce of their local farmers. Founded with a focus on culinary technique and transparency in sourcing, Matchbook works directly with farmers, foragers, and producers to build spirits from raw agricultural ingredients. Located on the North Fork of Long Island, Matchbook operates as both a distillery and research-driven beverage lab, producing a diverse portfolio that includes gin, amaro, aperitifs, and specialty botanical spirits. “We think healthy, live soil produces the healthiest ingredients - and the healthiest ingredients produce the best flavor. We find endless inspiration in the history of how people have regarded spices, herbs, fruits, minerals - at once medicine, nourishment, perfume and flavor.”