The trio of 3 excellent bartenders, Alex Kratena, Monica Berg, and Simone Caporale, having notable experience in the industry, collaborated and allowed us to cherish this exquisite Liqueur. Muyu Vetier Gris is made using natural ingredients and is well rounded to be used in cocktails. Muyu translates to ‘seed’ in Quenchan Language. The idea of creating this masterpiece struck when Alex Kratena, Monica Berg, and Simone Caporale went to the Amazon in 2016. They decided to take the natural ingredients back home, but this would mean disturbing the ecology of the forest. This led to the introduction of industry-leading experts who helped them capture and concentrate aromatic qualities of plants, fruits and flowers. The raw ingredients were collected from Grasse and Schiedam, known for their perfume-making skills and vast experience in distilling. The manufacturing process included enfleurage, steam distillation, and CO2 extraction to extract the selected flavours.

The liqueur bagged a total of 5 awards at the competition, Source: London Spirits Competition

The judging panel at the London spirits competition 2021 considered the quality, packaging, and value for money before finally announcing the winner. Winners in the London Spirits Competition receive either a Gold, Silver or Bronze award and are supported by a strong consumer awareness campaign, particularly through social media channels and spirits comparison apps, to promote this new global competition. 

With a remarkable experience of over 320 years, De Kuyper Royal Distillers displayed their high-quality distillation skills and presented Muyu Vetier Gris at the London Spirits Competition. 

Review from the 2021 London Spirits Competition:

Points Scored: 96 points

Medal won: Gold, Liqueur of the year

Tasting notes: Earthy and sweet citrus notes of lemongrass, fresh white grapes, certain acidity and fresh mint leaves, with delicate spice on the finish.

Alex Kratena at Tayēr + Elementary, Source: Instagram

Tayēr + Elementary is a bar owned by Kratena and Berg where they have allowed the space for research of common ingredients to highlight their flavours. Berg explained the concept of the bar to the 50 Best as “At Tayēr, we want to celebrate ingredients that may be common but underappreciated, like a really good apple at the peak of its season, We want to show people that cocktails, and even food, are not necessarily about the expensive or exclusive”.

De Kuyper Royal Distillers explains how the process works: “Each liquid begins with the extraction of a single note – the eponymous ingredient of each Liqueur. Then the second sequence of ingredients is wrapped around each note to create a completely developed and complex liquid. These are then blended with alcohol, sugar, acids, and water to create the final liquid.”

The liqueur is packed in striking black bottles that resemble traditional medicine bottles. The artwork on the bottle is inspired by Muyus’ connection to the Amazon. It showcases digital re-imagings of the traditional forms painted on the body by communities living in that particular region. These patterns are connected to the overall diversity of the forest.

The artwork gets  highlighted because of the black bottle, Source: Muyu liqueurs

The gold medal at the LWC comes at an ideal time when the at-home cocktail is gaining popularity at a rapid pace. According to the 2021 Adams Liquor Handbook, the liqueurs and cordials category grew by 3.1% in 2020 to stand at the third-largest spirit category. The total consumption of 26.3 million nine-litre cases was reported in 2020.

Their entry into the London Spirits Competition gave them a great chance to showcase the brand and build their network with distributors. This judging process at LSC is unique and analyzes the beverage on a fair basis. The spirits are tasted blind initially to determine the quality, and then it is also judged based on variety, style, region, and country. Further, the judges are given a briefing document that mentions the price, selected market segment, and the distribution channel where it wants to be sold. Only after assessing these factors, judges score the spirit. To ensure the scoring quality, the spirits judges re-taste the Gold winning spirits and all special category spirits on the re-judging day.

The competition helps the winner to elevate their brand and credibility with importers and consumers. Winners get unparalleled global reach via the BTN network which also includes Bartender Business magazine. Along with this, winners get showcased and promoted on BTN's new UK consumer drinks magazine - London Drinks Guide and On-Trade which focuses on restaurants, bars, pubs and hotels of the UK. 

Article written by Arjun Moghe, Content Writer, Beverage Trade Network