A new female-founded vodka has launched in New Zealand, positioning itself around sensory-led product development and a flavour profile designed with female consumers in mind.
The brand, VODKHER, was six years in development, in collaboration with founder Sharon Hunter, aromatics specialist Jill Mulvaney and distiller Caci Erasmus.
Hunter says the product was developed around the idea of creating a vodka specifically for female taste preferences.
“It started with a word scribbled on a napkin, VODKHER, and that name set the direction for the entire brand,” says Hunter.
“It has been built at every key touch point by female experts, for the elevated female palate.
“You won’t find lazy, syrupy fruit blends or diet expressions. Nor is it a tweaked recipe of something done before. It’s been built from scratch for our elevated female tastes.”
Team took a botanical-led approach rather than pursuing the traditionally neutral flavour profile associated with vodka.
The 40% ABV spirit is made in Auckland using a mixed grain base and a combination of maceration and vapour distillation.
It contains 10 botanicals, including coconut, lime peel, fennel seed, angelica, lavender, coriander, cinnamon and pink and green peppercorns.
“[It’s] made from a combination of aromatic roots, seeds, flowers, spice, citrus and fruit,” says Mulvaney.
“Its complexity mirrors the depth of women, and the result is a beautifully bonded liquid with a unique but complex union of aroma and flavour that personifies the energy, independence and space women make for each other.
“This is exactly how I wanted to express the female spirit,” she says.
Hunter says VODKHER is the first brand to treat the female palate as the gold standard for taste.
“We’ve made something that pushes the boundaries in the category and gives women their own seat at the bar,” she says.
The vodka is designed to be served neat, over ice or in cocktails, with tasting notes describing herbal citrus, green anise, a soft creamy mouthfeel and a dry, spicy finish.
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