Cool to be hot spirit goes global

The Namida Wasabi spirit from the Wasabi Spirits Company is making its global debut at Distil (London, May 18-20).

Developed in New Zealand in 1996, the spirit, which is hand made in small batches, individually numbered and signed by one of the Wasabi ‘maestros’, is now being produced in South Africa for export worldwide.

The pale green spirit is made by blending Namida Wasabia japonica (Wasabi) rhizome (a peppery tasting, knobbly green root which grows above ground) into triple distilled, four-times filtered pure spirit.

The resulting flavour creates an interesting alternative to vodka in a Bloody Caesar or Bloody Mary, or it can be simply taken as a shot or sipped over ice. In New Zealand, the preference is to turn it into a sweeter drink through the addition of Lemon Crush and ice.

1 April 2010 - Felicity Murray