The folks behind Tru Organic Vodka have set their sights on, well, a smaller, less lucrative market: Fruit- and flower-flavored liqueurs. Up first, a line of three curious concoctions, with even more curious names.
All are certified 100% organic, sweetened with cane sugar, and weigh in at 40 proof, which puts them on the (very) light side of the alcohol scale.
Citry is an organic orange liqueur, the most straightforward of the lineup. It uses Valencia and navel oranges as a base flavor, then adds “Bergamot sour orange,” and I’m not quite sure what that means. The result is a little odd — a bit too sweet, but more “pure” in its tone than the aged liqueurs like Grand Marnier, which look a lot like Citry in color. There’s solid orange in the attack, but the finish winds up on a funky, almost saccharine note. Perhaps a bit too much Bergamot sour orange? B-
Crism is a name which won’t get a lot of play out loud. It’s flavored with hibiscus and is colored a garnet red. Looks like sangria, and kind of tastes like it too. There’s a real initial cough syrup character here, but then the hibiscus kicks in soon after. The finish is light and refreshing. Not something I’d drink on its own, but definitely worth experimenting with as a cocktail ingredient. B
Theia — I don’t even know how that’s pronounced — is a jasmine liqueur, and offers exotic incense aromas, unlike any other spirit I can recall. As a pure attempt at distilling the essence of a single ingredient into a liqueur, this is Fruit Lab’s biggest success. As with Crism, it’s a tough nut to crack on its own, as the jasmine is overpowering in the absence of a mixer. But this is one I’d definitely see making for some interesting drinks — most likely of the beach variety. A-
$33 each / fruitlabliqueurs.com
