Vanguard Luxury Brands has released an Australian first – a raw vodka called tilde~.
It is the result of two years R&D, which started with talking to Australia’s leading bartenders about what was lacking behind the bar. A resounding dislike for vodka was what came back.
Evan Stroeve, creator of the world’s first no-waste bar Re- in Sydney’s inner city and third place getter at last year’s World Class Bartender of the Year competition, said bartenders were typically “quite averse” to vodka.
“Whatever it’s made from is fermented and distilled to the point it’s unrecognisable, with brands usually hinging on mouthfeel and texture as the only distinguishing feature,” Stroeve said.
Vanguard general manager Danny Connolly said that set the wheels in motion. The company brought together a brewer, distiller, and bartender and presented them with the challenge to make a “completely unique liquid”. The goal was to develop a distinctive flavour profile that would be a “true Australian expression of craft vodka”.
Connolly said, “We bring the expert skills from the brewing world to give us the best base ingredients to make this truly unique craft product. tilde~ is what Australian bartenders and drinkers alike have told us they want - a vodka Aussies can call their own.
“Chasing character through subtle flavours and texture, tilde~ offers something different to the Australian market. We set out to do things differently and craft a vodka in a way no one has done before. tilde~ is true to its high-quality ingredients and the craftspeople involved in its creation. A vodka that is real and raw.”
tilde~ is made using a new process of low-intervention distillation of a high-quality, craft sour beer wash base, and minimal filtration to preserve the depth, character, and natural flavours.
The sour beer wash base gives the vodka character, with a light lactic bite and discernible citrus notes.
“The result is a vodka with identifiable character, complexity, authenticity. It is the future of vodka and it is exciting” Connolly said.
Sydney’s Door Knock bar owner Natalie Ng was the bartender in the trio and is now the brand’s ambassador.
“tilde~ is set to change the perception of vodka as a category. It has surprised even the harshest of industry experts and is guaranteed to be a bartender favourite in no time,” Ng said.
Ng recommends serving it neat, with soda and lemon, or as an “exceptional” martini.
~tilde is available in selected bottleshops.
