Artisan vodka made in Warwickshire now available to the public

A boutique spirit first produced for local bars after a ban on Russian imports is being bottled for the public in a tribute to Warwickshire’s royal links.

The award-winning Warwickshire Gin Company has added its Kingmaker Vodka to its line-up of artisan spirits to celebrate the region’s connection to the monarchy.

The spirit, which uses a hint of frankincense to give a smooth finish with barrel-aged notes, has become a favourite in hotels and bars across Warwickshire and the West Midlands – and now locals and visitors can add the regal-inspired bottle to their own collections.

The vodka’s flavour profile is inspired by the distillery’s Kingmaker Gin, which was launched in 2019 and takes its name from 15th century War of the Roses military hero Warwick the Kingmaker – otherwise known as Richard Neville, the 16th Earl of Warwick.

David Blick, founder and director of Warwickshire Gin Company, said the new release would be followed by a limited-edition gin – which would see all proceeds from sales going to the Polish Centre in Royal Leamington Spa as part of the centre’s fundraising and support initiative for Ukraine.

He said: “We tested a few different flavour profiles after we heard from colleagues in the hospitality industry that they had stopped stocking Russian-made vodka, and frankincense really offered something new and intriguing.

“All of our flavour profiles are inspired by historical events in Warwickshire, and after strong feedback from testing, we decided to put the Kingmaker Vodka into production back in March. We are delighted to now be able to offer it to the public as well as our trade customers.

“We use less botanicals in our vodka than we do with our gin so it has a very clean taste but with a slightly aged finish. The frankincense oils give it a really pleasant mouthfeel, making it a great one to sip neat or add a level of sophistication to vodka cocktails.

“We also hope to launch a special Ukraine edition of our Leamington Gin later this year. All proceeds from those sales would go to the Leamington Spa Polish Centre as part of their ongoing support to the people of Ukraine.”

The Kingmaker Vodka, as well as Warwickshire Gin Company’s gin and rum range, is available online or from its craft distillery at Unit 13 Victoria Park Business Centre, Royal Leamington Spa, CV31 2AZ.

For more information visit www.warwickshiregincompany.co.uk