Brightland’s New Vinegar Tastes Like Summer in a Bottle (and It’s Only Available for a Limited Time)

If the greatest food companies in the world were tasked with bottling up the feeling of summer, I imagine the final product would taste a lot like LUSH. What’s LUSH, you ask? The brand-new strawberry vinegar that Brightland just launched this morning. See, Brightland already makes my favorite fancy olive oils and two ridiculously well-balanced vinegars — and today the small company released this vinegar, which was made in partnership with Oishii, the largest indoor vertical strawberry farm.

Buy: LUSH, $25 for 200 mL at Brightland

The companies say the vinegar, which will only be around for a limited time, is meant to “capture the exceptional sweetness and beautiful aroma of Oishii’s coveted Omakase berries.” (These berries are known, yes, for their exceptional sweetness, and also their creamy texture.)

“LUSH is a beautiful smelling, delicious vinegar with a smooth finish that will
transform any dish,” says Hiroki Koga, CEO and co-founder of Oishii, in a press release. The companies suggest using LUSH in cocktails (spritzes!), with summer fruit (grilled and not grilled!), over soft-ripened cheeses, as a salad dressing, on top of chocolate desserts, and more.

Like I said, a limited number of bottles officially became available this morning, but I got my hands on one yesterday (work perk!) and started pouring. So far I’ve tried the stuff drizzled on top of a salad, some grilled peaches, and a wedge of cheese. The best word to truly describe this vinegar? Summer. It’s bright, crisp, sweet, and, well, summery. I can’t wait to try it in this panzanella salad and with some grilled chicken.

I’m trying to use the stuff sparingly because, again, only a limited number of bottles will be available. And while I want to try it on everything, I also want to have some left over to use in the fall when these warm, long days are a fleeting memory.

Have you tried strawberry vinegar before? Tell us in the comments below.