Black Cow Vodka

Last updated
Black Cow Vodka
Type Vodka
Country of origin  West Dorset, United Kingdom
Introduced West Dorset, 2012
Alcohol by volume  40%
Proof (US) 80
Website Black Cow Vodka

Black Cow is a brand of vodka manufactured in West Dorset, United Kingdom. It was created by Jason Barber, a dairy farmer from West Dorset. The vodka is made using whey, a byproduct of cheesemaking.

Contents

Product

Black Cow was created by Jason Barber and Paul Archard, through a trial and error process that took approximately five years. [1] Barber had been inspired by the drink Araka, an alcoholic form of fermented mare's milk used by Genghis Khan and his armies. Araka, which is still made today, is approximately 7% ABV and more akin to a beer. [2]

The vodka is made using whey, [3] as it is high in lactose and sugars to convert to alcohol with a specific yeast that will react with lactose. The product is triple filtered, including through a carbon made from coconut husk. [4] After distillation, the product comes out at 48% ABV, at which point they process the liquid into Black Cow Vodka. [2] The final concentration of the product is 40% ABV. [5] In total, 20 litres (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 US gal) of milk are required to make 1 litre (0.22 imp gal; 0.26 US gal) of vodka. [6]

The curds from the same milk are used to make 1833 cheddar and Black Cow Deluxe Cheddar, two other products from the same dairy farm, meaning that there is very little waste between the two processes. [2] Due to their unique process, the brand claims to be the only vodka in the world made entirely from milk products. [7] [1] Black Cow Vodka has made deals to be stocked in Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer and Majestic Wine, [1] under the Pure Milk Vodka Company. [8] In 2016, the company produced 120,000 bottles. [6]

Awards

Black Cow Vodka won a gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition in 2015. The vodka is championed by the likes of Mark Hix, [9] Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Kirstie Allsopp. [10]

Advertising

In 2017, Black Cow Vodka had three of its adverts banned by the Advertising Standards Authority. [11] [12] One advert was a shot for shot parody of the 1989 "Accrington Stanley, Who Are They?" milk advert, including the original actor, Carl Rice. However, the ASA stated the advert encouraged excessive drinking. Barber embraced the additional publicity the complaint gave the vodka. [8] Indeed, the adverts being banned led to an increase in sales and BBC coverage in Countryfile and Farming Today . [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dairy product</span> Food product made from milk

Dairy products or milk products, also known as lacticinia, are food products made from milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, nanny goat, and ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food items in the Western world such as yogurt, cheese, milk and butter. A facility that produces dairy products is known as a dairy. Dairy products are consumed worldwide to varying degrees. Some people avoid some or all dairy products either because of lactose intolerance, veganism, or other health reasons or beliefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lactose</span> Carbohydrate

Lactose, or milk sugar, is a disaccharide sugar synthesized by galactose and glucose subunits and has the molecular formula C12H22O11. Lactose makes up around 2–8% of milk (by mass). The name comes from lact (gen. lactis), the Latin word for milk, plus the suffix -ose used to name sugars. The compound is a white, water-soluble, non-hygroscopic solid with a mildly sweet taste. It is used in the food industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk</span> White liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals

Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulating components in milk contribute to milk immunity. Early-lactation milk, which is called colostrum, contains antibodies that strengthen the immune system and thus reduce the risk of many diseases. Milk contains many nutrients, including protein and lactose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butter</span> Dairy product

Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment, and used as a fat in baking, sauce-making, pan frying, and other cooking procedures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dairy</span> Place where milk is stored and where butter and cheese are made or sold

A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also describe a dairy farm or the part of a mixed farm dedicated to milk for human consumption, whether from cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep, horses or camels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lactose intolerance</span> Inability to digest lactose

Lactose intolerance is caused by a lessened ability or a complete inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy products. Humans vary in the amount of lactose they can tolerate before symptoms develop. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, flatulence, and nausea. These symptoms typically start thirty minutes to two hours after eating or drinking something containing lactose, with the severity typically depending on the amount consumed. Lactose intolerance does not cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yogurt</span> Food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk

Yogurt is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as yogurt cultures. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and characteristic tart flavor. Cow's milk is the milk most commonly used to make yogurt. Milk from water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels, and yaks are also used to produce yogurt. The milk used may be homogenized or not. It may be pasteurized or raw. Each type of milk produces substantially different results.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whey</span> Liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained

Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard cheese, like cheddar or Swiss cheese. Acid whey is a byproduct brought out during the making of acid types of dairy products, such as strained yogurt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheesemaking</span> Craft of making cheese

Cheesemaking is the craft of making cheese. The production of cheese, like many other food preservation processes, allows the nutritional and economic value of a food material, in this case milk, to be preserved in concentrated form. Cheesemaking allows the production of the cheese with diverse flavors and consistencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whey protein</span> Protein supplement

Whey protein is a mixture of proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. The proteins consist of α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, serum albumin and immunoglobulins. Glycomacropeptide also makes up the third largest component but is not a protein. Whey protein is commonly marketed as a protein supplement, and various health claims have been attributed to it. A review published in 2010 in the European Food Safety Authority Journal concluded that the provided literature did not adequately support the proposed claims. For muscle growth, whey protein has been shown to be slightly better compared to other types of protein, such as casein or soy.

Rectified spirit, also known as neutral spirits, rectified alcohol or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, is highly concentrated ethanol that has been purified by means of repeated distillation in a process called rectification. In some countries, denatured alcohol or denatured rectified spirit may commonly be available as "rectified spirit", because in some countries the retail of rectified alcohol in its non-denatured form is prohibited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk substitute</span> Alternative substance that resembles milk

A milk substitute is any substance that resembles milk and can be used in the same ways as milk. Such substances may be variously known as non-dairy beverage, nut milk, grain milk, legume milk, mock milk and alternative milk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Müller (company)</span> German food company

Müller is a German company producing a variety of dairy products, with headquarters in Fischach in the German state of Bavaria. Aside from its German home market, Müller is also active on various markets around Europe and beyond. It is, for example, one of the best selling yogurt brands in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camel milk</span> Milk produced by female camels

Camel milk is milk from female camels. It has supported nomad and pastoral cultures since the domestication of camels millennia ago. Herders may for periods survive solely on the milk when taking the camels on long distances to graze in desert and arid environments, especially in parts of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa. The camel dairy farming industry has grown in Australia and the United States, as an environmentally friendly alternative to cow dairy farming using a species well-adapted to arid regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strained yogurt</span> Yogurt thickened by draining whey

Strained yogurt, Greek yogurt, yogurt cheese, sack yogurt, kerned yogurt, or Turkish yogurt is yogurt that has been strained to remove most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency than normal unstrained yogurt, while still preserving the distinctive sour taste of yogurt. Like many types, strained yogurt is often made from milk enriched by boiling off some water content, or by adding extra butterfat and powdered milk. In Europe and North America, it is often made from low-fat or fat-free cow's milk. In Iceland, a similar product named skyr is made.

Davisco Foods is a company headquartered in Le Sueur, Minnesota. It was founded in 1943. They also own Cambria, the sole producer of quartz work surfaces in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whey cheese</span> Dairy product made of whey

Whey cheese is a dairy product made of whey, the by-product of cheesemaking. After the production of most cheeses, about 50% of milk solids remain in the whey, including most of the lactose and lactalbumin. The production of whey cheese allows cheesemakers to use the remaining whey, instead of discarding it as a waste product.

Cow & Gate was a British dairy products company which expanded into milk bottling, distribution, and baby food production. It merged in 1959 with United Dairies to form Unigate plc, which today is known as Uniq plc. The Cow & Gate brand survives as a specialist baby food brand, owned by Netherlands-based Numico, now owned by Danone.

Accrington Stanley, Who Are They? is a slogan that was used in an advert for milk, by the Milk Marketing Board in the 1980s, in the United Kingdom. The advert starred Carl Rice and Kevin Spaine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sour cream</span> Fermented dairy product

Sour cream is a dairy product obtained by fermenting regular cream with certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, which is introduced either deliberately or naturally, sours and thickens the cream. Its name comes from the production of lactic acid by bacterial fermentation, which is called souring. Crème fraîche is one type of sour cream with a high fat content and less sour taste.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Raise your glasses please!". Blackmore Vale Magazine. Sturminster Newton, England. 15 September 2017. p. 19. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Milk Vodka Alchemy from cows". Western Morning News. Plymouth, England. 14 March 2015. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. "Let This Spirit Moo-ve You: Make Way For Milk Vodka". npr.org. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. Quinn, Sue (7 December 2013). "The Guardian: 'We like to say that cheese is a byproduct of our vodka' Jason Barber spent years developing the recipe for Black Cow Vodka - a smooth and creamy vodka made from milk". Guardian. London, England. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  5. "That's the spirit - How a Dorset dairy farmer turned his milk into vodkaThe Cut Best of British". Telegraph Magazine. England. 27 July 2019. p. 63. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  6. 1 2 Helmer, Jodi (3 February 2017). "Let This Spirit Moo-ve You: Make Way For The World's First Milk Vodka". NPR. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  7. "'Dairying drove me to it': meet the milk vodka producer". theguardian.com. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  8. 1 2 Macpherson, Jon (8 March 2017). "Vodka firm's Accrington Stanley milk advert parody BANNED - The advertising standards watchdog said Black Cow's ad encouraged 'excessive drinking'". Accrington Observer. England. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  9. "Mark Hix recipes: Our chef gets creative with produce from Lyme Regis's Food Rocks festival". independent.co.uk. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  10. "Cocktails: who are the movers and shakers this Christmas?". telegraph.co.uk. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  11. "'Accrington Stanley' vodka parody ad banned". bbc.co.uk. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  12. "Remember the 'Accrington Stanley?' milk advert? This vodka company's sexy remake has been banned by watchdogs". mirror.co.uk. 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  13. Hall, Godfrey (5 October 2017). "Vodka made from milk is one of trendiest products". Western Gazette. Yeovil, England. p. 4. Retrieved 14 March 2020.