Breweries and wineries are booming in Virginia. And now, thanks to a change in state law, a new alcohol-inspired industry may soon blossom: boozy baked goods.
Rachel Bolling has been making and selling cupcakes out of her home for a couple years. Her secret ingredient? Alcohol.
Bolling is the owner of Lush Cupcakes. She makes flavors inspired by, and often using, local brews.
“You know, the choosy mother peanut butter porter cupcake which is chocolate and peanut butter,” Bolling says. “It’s made with Isley’s Choosy Mother Peanut Butter Porter.”
Because of state law her cupcakes could only be but so boozy. Now, thanks to her lobbying, she’ll be able to go up to 5-percent alcohol by volume in a single cupcake.
“We already kind of have some ideas of alcoholic simple syrups and soaking fruits and just being a little bit more creative with what we do,” she says.
The law creates a new confectionary license that small businesses can apply for through Virginia ABC. Matthew Bowling, Rachel’s husband and business partner, says it opens up all sorts of possibilities.
“We’ve got a friend that does wine jellies and jams,” Matthew Bowling says. “There’s a company in Eastern Virginia that wants to do higher ABV puddings. There’s just a lot of really good cool ideas out there that people are kind of restricted on right now.”
But starting July 1st they’ll no longer be restricted.
