Why Tunde Wey’s New Spirit Costs Exactly $192.79 Per Bottle
Artist and chef Tunde Wey explains his latest project.
The Deligram shines a spotlight on the many incredible food artisans in New York–and beyond. So we look to our friends to help us discover the best of the best every day. This week, we spoke to Tunde Wey, an artist and chef who was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and now splits his time between his homeland and the United States. His identity is hard to pin down–and is a big part of everything that he does. “Being Nigerian, an immigrant, undocumented–estranged and then reunited with my home–these are all themes in my work,” he explains.
His latest project began when working on another project–a documentary about Nigeria’s systemic failure. “We visited rural farming communities in Kogi, a climate challenged, economically depressed area in the country's center,” he says. “During this trip, I tasted an herbal tonic made from ogogoro at a chief's house and it was the most gorgeous drink; I knew I had to bring a drink based on the experience and taste to a wider public.” Wey wanted to translate the experience into a product that comments on how Nigeria is, as he explains, a subordinate player in the game of global capitalism. “I wanted to combine the ever present story of colonialism with the gorgeous pastoral hedonism of rural central Nigeria in a single experience,” he adds.
For two years, he worked with Mark Byrne at Good Liquorworks to figure out how to replicate the spirit he had tried in Kogi, ultimately connecting with Matchbook Distilling and Burlap and Barrel to create a liquor that, Wey says, “doesn’t replicate the taste, but gives a good account of the feeling of nostalgia and a tinge of melancholy.” The result is called, Since the Time of John the Baptist, and it’s priced at $192.79 for a 357 ml bottle for a very specific reason–it’s the cost each person of drinking age in the USA would spend to pay down Nigeria’s external debt. Wey adds, “the drink is a challenge to drinkers of fine spirits, asking, ‘Can you pay for the cost of your joy?’”
Pre-orders are available now at sincespirits.com, and, if you can’t wait, in the meanwhile we asked Wey to share some of the things he loves right now.
Tunde Wey’s Favorite Things
Iru (Fermented Locust Beans) from Burlap and Barrel
“I use this in ALL my cooking. It's really an amazing condiment that brings out the savory profile of other ingredients.”
Good Vodka
“I'm not a big vodka drinker, but my go-to cocktail over the last few years is a dirty martini (extra brine please), and Good Vodka is my choice. It's made from agricultural byproduct–in this case, coffee bean skin and pulp– which reduces waste and generates more revenue for farmers.”
Fred Jerbis Vermut
“When I'm not drinking a martini, I'm doing vermouth on the rocks with a twist of citrus. and Fred Jerbis is my favorite when I can find it. I took my first sip in Atlanta in a restaurant that doubled as a library. Shout out to Michael Jordan (the OG Atlanta food writer who is definitely sexier than the other two MJs) for leading me the way to Fred Jerbis.”
Igo Glass Glassware
“Because I spend a lot of time in Lagos and I keep an apartment there, my kitchen has three sets of hand-blown glassware from Igo Glass–blue specked glasses with red rims, clear "Mexican drinking glasses"... and I especially love my third set of six coupe glasses. Each is adorably different. I don't entertain really because it's stressful, but I entertain myself– and they make a casual solo drink feel more special.”
Ekòkò.ng Clay Plates
“These beautiful black clay pots double as plates, or are plates that double as pots. Most people in Lagos don't use them in their homes because of the association with divination, but I love them–they’re all I use. I don't cook very much, but when my parents used to come over they would bring a lot of food which i would throw into the bowls, warm on the stove, and then serve them the meal straight from the steaming pot. It was very convenient and also stylish! (My parents joke that they are sacrifice plates.)”
nmbello’s LM Stool
“This futuristic and modern stool is made from a single sheet of steel, was designed by Nifemi Marcus-Bello and is fabricated in a generator casing manufacturing plant in Lagos. It’s really beautiful and functional. I put my steaming pots on here.”
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Story by Anna Polonsky and Teddy Wolff, edited by Sarah Leon.
Photos courtesy of the brands.
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