Seaweed has long had applications in beverages—brewers, for example, use Irish moss as a clarifier, and there is a Japanese tradition of kelp teas. Bartenders, inevitably, also have experimented with seaweed as a cocktail ingredient.
More recently, however, there’s been an apparent uptick in the use of seaweed in distilling, where it contributes a unique saline edge to spirits such as gin and vodka. Some coastal distillers are using seaweed to tie their products to their locales. And as savory, salty, umami notes in cocktails continue to be in vogue, seaweed is among the interesting additives capturing the attention of drinkers.