Source: D.L. Chandler / Spirit.ED
The act of imbibing fine beverages typically goes together well when there’s a food option involved, so one could imagine a combination of the two as a snack during a social gathering would shine. Enter EATABLE, an infused popcorn snack using the flavors of classic spirits and wines to enhance the mood of your next get-together or chill movie night.
EATABLE is a concept from husband and wife business partners Charlene and Vince Li, who created the line as a way to avoid food at gatherings that didn’t align with their desire to eat cleaner and not fuss over the sugar or fat content. Popcorn is a relatively low-fat, high-fiber snack that doesn’t require a ton of fuss. From their facility in Vaughn, Ontario in the great north of Canada, the Lis have definitely scored with this winning combination.
Let Charlene and Vince explain briefly how EATABLE came to be in their own words:
While searching for movie night indulgences and party snacks, we were frustrated by the lack of clean, yet exciting snacks on store shelves. Confections were often TOO sweet, or loaded with artificial fillers, preservatives and guilt…
In 2018, we left our desk jobs to pursue a lifelong passion for food, and started a journey to create a perfect pairing of two loves: snacking + alcohol.
For over a year, we worked alongside pastry chefs in a commercial kitchen, learning time-tested artisanal confectionery techniques to infuse the flavours of our favourite wines and spirits into popcorn, while creating the perfect balance of flavour and texture.
Our first creation, “Whisky on the Pops” was a smoky Scotch Whisky-infused caramel popcorn with a wicked crunch. After winning a pitch competition hosted by a Boston food start-up incubator, we knew we created something truly unique.
EATABLE started as a love of new experiences, and became an entrepreneurial journey born in Boston and brought us back to our hometown, Toronto.
While we typically focus on the liquid side of the wine and spirits fence here at Spirit.Ed, EATABLE was kind of enough to send us a sample of their wares and we went through their offering to discover that, yes, wine and spirits DO belong with popcorn.
Our first taste was the Añejo Tequila caramel and lemon salt infused Pop The Salt & Tequila, and it was impressive, to say the least. While the salted caramel notes are definitely present, the pleasant crunch of popcorn coupled with the subtle hint of the tequila works surprisingly well.
We then we with Pop the Champagne, which pairs the popcorn with Belgian white chocolate and Champagne-infused sugar crystals. Like a true bottle of bubbly, there’s a noticeable fizz there and as they say on the site, we can see these being “insanely addictive” for sure.
Poppin’ Rosé All Day put us in the mind of a dope day party complete with the rose-colored bubbly and the product inside the bag did the track in transporting us to days of leisure. EATABLE suggests pairing this with a light wine, such as rosé, and we’re seeing the vision.
Sangria is one of the most classic cocktails because of the ability to make a large batch relatively easy. The Pop Goes Sangria offering brings one into the mind of wine-soaked fruits joined in harmony inside a glass of red deliciousness.
Our last taste was EATABLE’s flagship, Whiskey On The Pops, and we have to say it was our clear favorite. Coated in Scotch Whisky-infused caramel (note the proper spelling0, this had all of the elements and tasted most like its inspiration.
We didn’t get to try out the Poppy Ceasar or the sold-out Poppin’ Peach Bellini, but we’re sure they’re just as great as their counterparts.
Source: EATABLE / Instagram
What also makes EATABLE an excellent choice is its sustainability pledge. With each bag sold, they’ve pledged to remove one bag from the environment by way of its bags being Plastic Neutral Certified by rePurpose Global. They’re also donating a portion of online sales to Second Harvest Food Rescue, Canada’s largest food rescue organization.
Want to cop your own bags? Check out EATABLE by following this link.
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Photo: D.L. Chandler
