If you follow my Behind the Biz series you’ll know that I interviewed Patrick, the founder of Ishka Sprits back in February. It was fantastic to learn about his business journey and a little more about the story behind Ishka. If you missed the interview you can pop over and read it here.
Patrick kindly sent out a bottle of Ishka Vodka for me to try. I enjoyed it so much I thought I’d share it with you.
Firstly, isn’t the bottle beautiful?
I think branding is just as important as the contents of the bottle.
The Ishka bottle really stands out on the shelf and if you look too quick you’ll miss the beauty hiding inside. When you look into the bottle you can see a tiny ballet dancer against the blue background. The dancer is delicate and mystical, as though she isn’t of this world. This is a talking point whenever I open up the bottle.
I love the top down view of the bottle too. It makes it easy to identify quickly on the bar cart.
I like that Ishka reinvests 10% of their profits each year into ambitious projects that aim to remove plastic from the ocean. They’re currently contributing to the Ocean Cleanup (I talk about them a lot on Twitter) and Remora.
This is a single grain vodka. When you open up the bottle it is has a zesty yet sweet scent. I don’t believe I’ve ever noticed that with other vodkas.
I can easily sip this vodka neat, with a big hunk of ice. It’s smooth and tastes the way it smells, sweet and zesty. It’s so flavourful, much more so than other vodkas. With a big squish of lime and a glug of tonic the zesty notes really come to life.
When I’m at a bar I normally go for a classic G&T. However, I’ve recently been shaking things up a bit and trying out different vodkas. The more vodkas I try the more I realise the difference between each one. I’m not a vodka connoisseur but I can tell a good, smooth vodka from one that lacks in flavour and gives you that nasty burning feeling.
I’m all for the zesty and sweet notes in Ishka.
It’s my favourite so far.
Vodka is much more subtle than gin. So, if you’re not into the current gin trend then you might prefer giving Ishka a try. It’s delicate, smooth and full of flavour. It goes down a treat with vodka and lime on a hot sunny day.
Another way I enjoy vodka is within a cocktail. I like lots of cocktails and I’m always keen to try something new. A favourite in our house at the moment is a good old Moscow Mule.
I’m all for taking a little extra time to make your favourite cocktails from scratch. However, if you want to make a super quick and simple version then there’s nothing wrong with that.
Here’s how you can knock up a quick and delicious Moscow Mule at home.
Add ice to your favourite glass.
Squeeze half a small lime into the glass.
Tasty and delightfully quick and easy to make.