Victory London and Vault Vermouth, two of London’s finest independent spirits makers, have teamed up for a very special collaboration: Champagne & Oysters Vermouth. I love oysters, champagne and vermouth, so when I heard that this was on the way I eagerly refreshed the Victory shop waiting for the bottles to become available. I wasn’t the only one though, and within an hour Victory had sold out of their batch, and it wasn’t long after that before Vault had fully sold out too.
This super limited release is a ‘drinking vermouth’ or one that is for drinking on the rocks, or with a splash of tonic, rather than mixing in cocktails like negronis.
Forty Hall Bacchus (London) and West Well Ortega Wines (Kent) form the canvas, with an array of botanicals macerated with them to form the unique character:
- Epping Acorns
- Fresh olives
- Lemon thyme
- Green coffee
- Wormwood
- Rhubarb
- Samphire
- Apple marigold
- Pineapple mint
- Oyster shells
Chris Coulson (@cwiss) has shared a great series of photographs he took at Victory’s distillery with the botanicals involved.
Champagne & Oysters Vermouth has a beautifully soft and smooth mouthfeel, with light fruitiness coming through on the nose from the lemon thyme, pineapple mint and apple marigold. While the oyster shells don’t smack you in the face, there’s definitely a note of saltiness that comes through from them which then goes perfectly with the samphire. Refreshing in more than one sense, at a time of the year often associated with big rich punchy flavours, having something a little more intricate was a welcome break.
The bottle feels so special too, with the shimmering oyster shell on the minimalistic front catching the light and bringing a touch of luxurious glamour to the festive season.
Champagne & Oysters Vermouth is a brilliant showcase of both Victory and Vault’s knowledge and experience of flavour and balance, as well as what they can achieve together. After its huge popularity I wouldn’t be surprised if this wasn’t the last batch we see of this special collaboration!