The makers of York Gin launched its 866 Viking Vodka at a special tasting yesterday (Tuesday 17th February) during its home city’s Jorvik Viking Festival (which runs all week).
The vodka aims to marry the best of Scandinavia and Yorkshire. Made with a neutral spirit distilled in Yorkshire from grain grown on local farms and flavoured with sea buckthorn – a hardy plant that thrives even in the brutal winters on the Scandinavian coast – along with berries, a key part of the Viking diet.
The vodka was developed at York Distillery, the boutique distillery which also holds tasting experiences and gin-making classes.
The name comes from 866 – the year the Vikings permanently settled in what is now York – they called their settlement Jorvik.
The York gin cat appears on the tamper seal too. The cat was an important aspect of Viking culture – felines were frequent wedding gifts and legend has it that Norse god Freya’s chariot was pulled by two giant cats.
York Distillery director, Natalie Hall, said: “We’re delighted with this new vodka. It resonates with our city’s history – but more importantly it’s a beautiful and characterful vodka. Developed and made in York, it’s another spirit to make the city proud.”
The vodka is available from the York Gin shop, 12 Pavement, York YO1 9UP.