Is there anything really new under the sun? Oli Dodd asks some of the UK’s foremost bartenders what brands they reach for when seeking a creative approach. 

A few years ago, it felt like every Scotch brand suddenly needed to have either a tequila or mizunara cask finish in the portfolio. Both if you’re Chivas. Luxury tequila tastes like vanilla and is bottled in a tall decanter that doesn’t fit on a shelf. This spiced rum has a bit less sugar, this gin has Japanese botanicals, this coffee liqueur is made with cold brew. Soon it’ll be AI-assisted product development, of course, then followed by the Luddite reclamation. 

Maybe it’s a cynical perspective, but where new ground is being broken, it can often feel like a tool that the marketing department is using to water the online attention farm – is anyone using a cristalino blended Scotch or pizza-flavoured vodka in their bar? 

Even novelty appears to use the same focus group. Last month a European vodka brand announced a hot pepper-flavoured bottling with packaging that references the Tabasco bottle. Now, was that Absolut or Stoli? Trick question – it was both. 

With everyone drinking less, maybe it’s simply a safer bet to stick closely to trends, but the result is homogenisation. Each new launch bleeds into a landscape of formless, cosmic tedium. I have no mouth, and I must yawn.   

Progress is always happening; it’s just that it’s normally on the fringe where product releases don’t arrive with a 360-marketing campaign. So, we’ve asked some of the UK’s best bartenders for their favourite bottles that are actually pushing boundaries.   

1 Capreolus Gooseberry 

Giulia Cuccurullo, Artesian, London 

What makes Capreolus different is that it doesn’t compromise. It doesn’t use cultured yeast, instead relying on wild fermentation to capture the true profile of the fruit. Many other brands might make amazing products, but there isn’t always a relationship to their location, Capreolus goes with a really local, terroir approach that is reflected in the final product. The result is a flavour that is totally connected to both location and vintage. 

Distributed by Speciality Drinks 

2 Woven Homemade 

Kyle Jamieson, Nauticus, Edinburgh 

Woven’s approach to innovation is super cool. All of its expressions are done by flavour and balance and it ties them to the experiences you may feel when drinking the dram. It’s changing the way people talk about blended Scotch, by the way it looks, the ethos, and the fun, modern approach. 

In Scotland we grew up with the classic blends like Grouse and Bell’s. There’s nothing wrong with them, but the whisky world is ever evolving and Pete[Allison], Duncan [McCrae] and Nick’s [Ravenhall] modern way of talking about and bottling their blends is really cool. Homemade is a huge nod to the area and the regeneration and growth of Leith. 

Distributed by CASK Liquid Marketing 

3 Abstract Lab Butter 

Aliia Idrisova, Bar Kinky, London 

Abstract Lab works with local, seasonal ingredients to create unique distillates, which it  

calls Monochromes. The liquid in every bottle is produced exclusively using cold vacuum distillation, which allows the bright, fresh character of each ingredient to be fully preserved.  

At the same time this highly modern process is combined with a hand-crafted, individual approach to every bottle. I really like the Butter, a distillate from French butter. I think the best way to use it is as the base for a bold and gastronomical Martini, or in a Highball with a simple cream-soda and some hazelnut liqueur. 

Available directly from producer 

4 Khoosh 

Surinder Virk, Four Seasons Hampshire, Dogmersfield 

The ingredients in Khoosh may sound simple but the aroma of the spirit reminds me of home and warmth. Khoosh in Hindi means happy – for me, it is happiness  

in a glass. 

It makes an amazing White Negroni, a bit sweeter and more of a crowd-pleaser with a hint of saffron. We use it in the bar in our twist on a Daiquiri. We tried using gentian and other white bitter liqueurs, but the colour wasn't what we wanted to achieve. When we found Khoosh, we did comparisons and a lot of the team preferred it. 

Distributed by Nxus Drinks 

5 58 and Co Olive Oil Vodka 

Caitlin Waugh, Slowpour, Liverpool 

58 and Co works with Citizens of Soil to repurpose waste olive oil and distil it into vodkas. They are delicious and an interesting way to use waste products that’s accessible to consumers. 

It uses a rotovap to distil, so it has all the flavour of the olive oil with none of the oiliness. It’s very clean and you can taste the difference between the varieties of olive oils used. There is a delicious Spanish one that’s my favourite – it’s super green. We use it in a Martini-style serve with a tomato water syrup and dry vermouth. The olive oil vodka works really well to create that clean, smooth, savoury, boozy serve. 

Distributed by Nightcap Brands