As we head into spring and towards those long, sunny summer evenings, it’s time to check out a few new kids on the liquor cabinet block. Whether you like a good cocktail, a glass of chilled wine, or even something neat over ice, we have a few drinks you may not have come across before that might just fit the bill.
Sobieski Vodka
Poland has been producing vodka for centuries. Sobieski is a 100% rye vodka which has now launched in the UK for the first time. To be labelled as Polish Vodka, strict regulations must be adhered to — the spirit must only be made using Polish cereals and Polish spring water — and Sobieski ticks all those boxes.
Named after the 17th century Polish King and soldier, Jan III Sobieski, the clear spirit is distilled in one of Poland’s oldest distilleries that dates back to 1846, using the tallest continuous column in Poland, and is produced using a unique blend of rye.
Sobieski isn’t a premium vodka, and available at £16 a bottle
, you could be forgiven for expecting a rather harsh-tasting spirit, but we were pleasantly surprised. Sobieski is a smooth and relatively gentle flavour, which has a sweet hint to it when sampled neat. This overall neutral flavour makes it a great spirit for cocktail making. Thanks to the subtle flavour and silky feel of the liquid, it could be sipped over ice too.
It’s a great value option for a mixing vodka, and one to try out for your summer cocktails. We can heartily recommend So’ Cranberry, a great spring cocktail which combines one part Sobieski vodka with two parts cranberry juice and a squeeze of lime over ice…
Mermaid Spice Rum
The Isle of Wight Distillery has married Caribbean rums from Trinidad and the Dominican Republic with local fruits and spices from the Isle of Wight, creating its newest offering, Mermaid Spiced Rum. It’s the fifth edition in the Mermaid spirit range, which includes Gin, Pink Gin and Zest Gin, along with Salt Vodka.
Xavier Baker, Co-Founder of Mermaid Gin, says: “After a good few years of research, we’ve created a rum that encapsulates our Island life. It now feels right as the rum category is growing in popularity, both in households and in bars and restaurants. We hope this new edition will be as well received as the other spirits in our Mermaid portfolio.”
As with everything produced by the distillery, the onus is on minimising waste and using ethically sourced and wild-foraged ingredients. Mermaid Spiced Rum is no exception, so the rums are infused with botanical rock samphire, fresh white cherries, apricots, honey from the distillery beehives and black salt from the island’s coastal flood tides. It is then gently spiced with local holy grass, cassia and vanilla. The result is a smooth, rich flavour profile, with hints of vanilla and spices on the nose, which then makes way for honey and caramel, with a touch of cherry on the palette. The finish is long and warm, with a bit of salinity from the sea salt, which keeps you wanting more. Available for around £38 a bottle, this is one to enjoy neat over ice.
The bottle, the design of which is based on a Mermaid’s tail, mirrors the style of the gin and vodka bottles in the Mermaid spirits range. It is plastic-free and made from recyclable glass, featuring a sustainably sourced natural cork stopper. Even the tamper-proof seal and label on the neck of the bottle are completely biodegradable, with every care taken to lessen the impact on the environment.
Axia
Axia is a spirit distilled from the resin of the mastic tree found on the Greek island of Chios. While the resin has been harvested and used by the Greeks for at least 2,500 years, Axia is the first extra-dry and unsweetened mastiha, which boasts fewer calories per serving than vodka and gin.
The dried resin is harvested and sorted by hand before being double distilled at Plomari in Lesbos, Greece, by master distiller Maroussa Tsachaki.
In Greek, the word Axia means ‘value’ or ‘worth’, which is fitting as in Ancient Greece, mastika crystals were so precious they were used as currency. The bottle, designed by American artist Zoe Keller, also incorporates the origins of the spirit. Each element on the label reflects Axia’s heritage and ingredients, depicting the branches of the mastic tree, mastic tree seeds and the snakes that inhabited Chios Island.
Axia is a versatile spirit with notes of rose, cypress, citrus, and bergamot. As it is unsweetened, and just £33 for a bottle, it makes an excellent base for a spring cocktail that calls for a white rum, gin or vodka, such as a Margarita, Negroni or Bloody Mary.
Excellence de l’Ormarine 2021
Ormarine Cellar, the leading producer of AOP Picpoul de Pinet, has taken a different tack with its latest release, Excellence de l’Ormarine. This new wine from a producer with over a century of experience is made purely using piquepoul blanc grapes, and matured on fine lees. It’s the first wine in the South of France to use this production process.
Ormarine’s vineyards are located next to the Etang de Thau in the south of France. The vines are cooled at night by the sea breezes from the Mediterranean, which help to keep the grapes fresh and give the wines a subtle saline flavour. Ormarine vineyards are cultivated using sustainable practices, and since 2018, the winery has been certified by Terra Vitis by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
The vineyards have been producing wine since 1922 when 53 winegrowers from the Pinet region formed the association of white wine producers of Pinet, and in 1985 the work started by the association paid off, with Picpoul de Pinet being classified as AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée), a mark of control and quality.
The grapes used in Excellence are picked from vines which are at least 15 years old, and once pressed, the juice and lees are separated, filtered and vinified before being reincorporated at the right time. The wine on the fine lees in the vats until the following spring. During that time, it’s regularly stirred to add aromatic complexity and richness.
As you uncork the bottle, you’ll find an initial burst of fresh apple, followed by floral notes of acacia and hawthorn blossom. The initial scents give way to flavours of stone fruits on the palette – peaches and plums predominantly – and a little zesty citrus note creeps in there too. The finish is complex and slightly acidic, with a hint of that sea breeze salinity that keeps your mouth watering, and available at around £14 a bottle, it’s a great wine to enjoy in the spring sunshine.
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