412 Food Rescue launches liqueur made from rescued apples
Foraged is a Pommeau created by Wigle Whiskey, a hyperlocal liqueur made from Pittsburgh’s wild city apples.
On the heels of a successful launch of its first product, LOAF–a craft beer made from surplus bread and just in time for holiday tables, 412 Food Rescue is launching FORAGED, a Pommeau made from apples “foraged” from wild city trees.
412 Food Rescue is one of the fastest-growing food recovery organizations in the country—founded as a direct response to the disconnect between the fact that we waste 40% of our food while 1 In 7 go hungry. Its innovative portfolio of programs includes the development of a technology platform for retail food recovery and an UglyCSA that sells “ugly” produce and creates new markets for farmers.
The award-winning Wigle Whiskey created FORAGED, which is now available for shipment.
In September and October, 412 Food Rescue rounded up volunteers for its Hidden Harvest program—Pittsburgh’s largest urban gleaning initiative, gathering apples from previously unharvested city trees. With tree maps from the City’s Department of Public Works, Tree Pittsburgh and crowdsourced on social media, the groups harvested over 2500 pounds of apples. Edible fruit went to nonprofit Lawrenceville United for distribution to refugee communities and inedible fruit went to Wigle to produce the City’s first Pommeau, an alcoholic beverage made by combining apple brandy with apple cider.
“The marriage of distilled and pressed apples constituting a Pommeau made the project seem like the perfect use of the foraged crop from 412 Food Rescue,” say Jill Steiner of Wigle Whiskey. “It’s a refined, approachable beverage that captures the beautiful complexity of “ugly” apples”.
200 bottles of this limited edition Pommeau will be available for $50 and available on Wigle’s websiteon November 18. The Pommeau’s public release party and 412 Food Rescue’s end of the year volunteer event will be on December 9 at Wigle Whiskey in the Strip District.
“We are very excited to launch this truly distinct liqueur,” says Lizarondo. “What better way to advocate and spread the message about food waste? Let’s have a drink and talk about it.”
About 412 Food Rescue
412 Food Rescue 412 Food Rescue launched in March 2015 to address the disconnect between the fact that 40 percent of food produced in the United States is wasted while one in seven go hungry. 412 Food Rescue’s unique approach takes the problem through the lens of an urban food system, impacting waste at each stage of the food supply value chain. Utilizing technology to solve the logistics challenge of retail food recovery, 412 Food Rescue is the only organization in Allegheny County that focuses on food that would otherwise be discarded, impacting not only hunger but also the environment. 412 Food Rescue’s goal is to introduce innovative solutions to eradicate food waste in the region and expand its model to cities around the country. To date, 412 Food Rescue has redirected over 1,000,000 pounds of perfectly good food from going to landfills. The organization works with over 175 food retailers, 200 nonprofit partners and over 1,000 volunteers.
About Wigle Whiskey
Founded in 2011, Wigle Whiskey is an award-winning organic distillery located in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Wigle’s portfolio of spirits includes Monongahela Rye Whiskey, PA Bourbon, a Dutch-style Ginever, Landlocked honey spirits, bitters, absinthe, and more: all crafted from scratch using local grains and ingredients
