Halewood Wines & Spirits has added a vodka infused with flavours of Sicilian-inspired blood orange to its Whitley Neill range.
Building on the success of the African-inspired Whitley Neill Gin, this new move into the vodka category aims to capture a quintessential Sicilian flavour with blood orange.
Whitley Neill Blood Orange Vodka produces a mixture of zesty Sicilian orange aromas combined with earthy spices to form a liquid that is smooth enough to be enjoyed neat, or as a base for cocktails.
With ABV of 43% in line with international markets, it has the recommended price in retail of £26 for a 70cl bottle.
The hero serve is the Sicilian Sunset, comprising orange and lime juices, honey and orange zest. See below for the recipe.
Tina Connolly, brand manager for Whitley Neill, said: “We’ve created a particularly smooth liquid for Whitley Neill Blood Orange Vodka, which taps into both the growing premium vodka category and current consumer trends for orange-flavoured spirits, allowing bartenders to craft a mixture of serves.
“The bright orange bottle will also create significant stand-out on shelf and attract new consumers to the premium vodka category.
“The Whitley Neill brand is all about the essence of discovery and using unique flavour combinations to deliver distinctive new tastes and experiences for consumers.”
Halewood Wines & Spirits has been investing heavily in new product development in spirits. Its vodka portfolio already includes JJ Whitley Potato Vodka and Rhubarb Vodka as well as the Red Square Vodka brand.
Whitley Neill Sicilian Sunset
50ml Whitley Neill Blood Orange Vodka
50ml Fresh orange juice
25ml Fresh lime juice
10ml Runny honey
Garnish: Orange zest or dehydrated orange wheel
Add the Whitley Neill Blood Orange Vodka, fresh orange juice, lime juice and honey to a cocktail shaker. Shake hard and double-strain the liquid. Pour into a martini or coupette glass. Garnish with orange zest or a dehydrated orange wheel.
