California Distillery Helps Reduce Food Waste by Creating Vodka Using Expired Bread

The San Diego-based distillery gets expired bread and sweets from a food bank. These foods can't be served to people because most are past their "use-by" date.

Ever imagine bread could grow up to be vodka? Whit Rigali from Misadventure Vodka did.

"Anything in a grocery store bakery aisle, we can turn to vodka," he revealed.

"Baked goods is just a resource like anything else. It's made from starches and sugars, which are the building blocks to making all alcohol."

Rigali told CBS News that he and business partner Samuel Chereskin created Misadventure Vodka to respond to America's problem with food waste. 

The San Diego-based distillery gets expired bread and sweets from a food bank. These foods can't be served to people because most are past their "use-by" date.

But Misadventure Vodka, which calls itself the world's first carbon-negative spirit, says the bread can still be used to make alcohol.

"With our process, some of the vanilla extracts come through," Rigali explains. "And so there's a subtle, sweet note with that vanilla." 

The company says that each batch of their vodka diverts about 1,000 pounds of food waste from the landfills.

According to the USDA, even though one-in-six American children live with food insecurity, "food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply."

Who knew cocktails with friends could be good for the environment?

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