The Batch 22 Story
CREATED IN AN L.A. KITCHEN BY 3 BEST FRIENDS
SOMEWHERE IN EASTERN EUROPE. SOMETIME IN THE '70s
A frigid 2:00 AM. Matthew was visiting his father, actor Alan Arkin, on the set of a film. Cast and crew were cold, tired, and grouchy, waiting for some clouds to pass in front of the moon. A grip reached into his kit bag, pulled out a bottle with no label, and shouted something in a language Matthew did not understand. But the reaction from the crew was unmistakable.
They gathered around as shots were poured. Smiles broke out, the clouds cleared, and they got back to work with renewed vigor. Matthew was last in line to try it out, this unknown spirit the grip had evidently made back in his village. Matthew remembers it being the most delicious and unique drink he’d ever tasted. The next day, he tried to find the grip to ask him for the recipe, but he was nowhere to be found.
SEARCHING FOR AN ANSWER
For decades, whenever a day of shooting ran long, Matthew and his dad would reminiscence about the night he tasted that amazing spirit; not sweet, a hint of citrus, somewhat herbaceous. He searched liquor stores and tasted all kinds of bottles, but he never found anything that replicated the elixir he remembered.
Four decades later, during the height of the COVID pandemic, Matthew had a little downtime. What to do? Matthew's father suggested he make aquavit at home. Soon, his Los Angeles kitchen was strewn with Mason jars, citrus graters, spice grinders, lemons, and bunches of fresh herbs. He worked for weeks, refined his process, and evolved an alchemy all his own. When Matthew poured a glass for his skeptical housemate Marc, the reaction was instantaneous. Matthew had somehow turned a handful of basic ingredients into gold.
SMOOTH, SIPPABLE, SUPERBLY MIXABLE
After Marc and Matthew shared a bottle with their entrepreneur friend Bruce in San Diego, a serious plan was hatched and they got to work. Using dozens of hand-zested lemons, bunches of hand-chopped herbs, and bowls of hand-ground spices, a final prototype batch was ready (the 22nd recipe).
Magical, smooth, and complex, this creation was easy to sip on its own—straight from the freezer or at room temperature. It was also dynamite as a mixer for cocktails. It paired brilliantly with sodas, tonics, juices, and sparkling wine, and it also breathed new life into the classics, like the Negroni, the Bloody Mary, and the Mule.
LIKE NOTHING ELSE
Finally, the “Three Amigos” could share this unique and delicious drink with their friends and families. The reaction from everyone was remarkably consistent. They all said the same three things: “This is like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. I love it! You guys have to bring it to the world!”
And so, here we are, doing exactly that. We hope you enjoy our spirit, as lovingly created now as it was back in that kitchen in L.A. Take it from our friends and family: It’s like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. And you’ll love it.