Strawberry vodka from Arbikie Highland Estate

A limited-edition strawberry vodka has been released by Arbikie Highland Estate.

Distilled using this summer's fresh strawberries locally-grown next to the distillery, Arbikie Strawberry Vodka is 50% ABV.

Moving away from its potato vodka, Arbikie has created a wheat vodka for the its latest expression and is set to sell out quickly with only a limited number of bottles available.

Arbikie claims that each release has its own unique vintage as no two crops of strawberries are the same. The fresh strawberries change subtly in flavour each year depending on the season’s mix of soft Scottish summer sun and variable east coast weather.

Arbikie has a growing reputation and true farm-to-bottle provenance as it grows the ingredients on their estate to ensure full traceability. In 2014, Arbikie created the first Scottish Potato Vodka, this was followed by the launch of its ‘Kirsty’s Gin’ using local botanicals and then its Chilli Vodka distilled using fresh chillies from Scotland’s first chilli farm.

Christian Perez, Arbikie distiller comments: “We were keen to create a unique a vodka using only fresh produce with local strawberries. We used wheat grown on the farm to make the vodka that provides distinctive notes of butterscotch and biscuit characteristics. At 50% ABV not only do you get a great base spirit for cocktails but an incredibly smooth and fresh tasting vodka.”

Arbikie global brand ambassador Alex Forsyth comments: “The feedback we received at the world-renowned London Cocktail Week was overwhelming, everyone commented how unique the vodka is. There is this fresh strawberry aroma which lends itself to great martini and champagne cocktails!”

5 December 2016 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, editorial assistant