Premium vodka distiller welcomes its first Yorkshire harvest of potatoes
BRAND TOASTING A
AFIRST Yorkshire harvest of potatoes for the region’s recently launched premium vodka has been completed. Elsham Wold-based Edwards 1902 has turned to three farms north of the Humber to provide the key ingredient as it enters a second season. Contributions from Kilham, North Dalton and Bridlington have been welcomed by the distillery, alongside the Lincolnshiresourced locations that provided the first batch of King Edwards. The potatoes will be batch processed at the Elsham Wold Distillery, situated on the site of its potato-growing sister company AKP. Seven years on from funding support from the regional development agency – and despite launching during a global pandemic – the brand is toasting a remarkable success. In addition to scooping four coveted awards from three awarding bodies, Edwards 1902 has also been stocked by more than 30 independent bars and retailers.
The small, highly-skilled team at the distillery takes great pride in their craft, controlling the whole process from soil to spirit. They share a passion for sustainable, local ingredients and are committed to creating a great tasting product. To achieve this, codistillers Ben Mordue and Matthew Hamilton accept only the finest quality potatoes.
Ben, from Beverley, said: “Since the start of our journey, the one thing that we remained committed to is creating a great tasting, single-variety product, using only the best locally grown ingredients. “We use our own unique technique during the distilling process to create a perfectly smooth vodka that is creamy enough to sip straight up on the rocks or add to your favourite cocktail for a touch of luxury. “I’m extremely proud of everything we’ve achieved in our first year and, as a Yorkshire farmer from a farming family, I’m equally proud to have added King Edward potatoes from my home county to our ingredients.”
The team is now gearing up for Christmas, with a belief that the pandemic will have shaped buying habits. It is expected that alcohol consumers, specifically, will favour authenticity and quality over quantity.
An online shop has been launched, and alongside the premium vodka now sits a coffee liqueur, developed from a singleorigin cold brew with Elsham neighbour Lincoln & York. Guatemalan bean meets Wolds potato for the perfect espresso martini according to the team, with the 20 per cent tipple a “celebration of perfect pairing”.
Ben said: “As with the creation of Edwards 1902 English potato vodka, the key element for our coffee liqueur was achieving a great taste from the highest quality ingredients – both as an individual product and as a partner for our vodka.
“The taste-based awards that we’ve won for Edwards 1902 strengthens our confidence that this second release will be equally well received.”