SNOW LEOPARD VODKA – Elite and ethical

Forget rubbing shoulders with Hollywood starlets Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton at Paper, or Sloane brigade stalwarts Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy at Boujis. You can now enjoy the fresh, distinctive taste of Snow Leopard Vodka by picking up a bottle at select branches of Waitrose.

The super-premium Polish vodka has, up until now, only been available at the most fashionable UK celeb hang-outs such as Claridge’s, One Aldwych, Sketch and Hush in London, and Cloud 23 and Obsidian in Manchester, as well as a handful of prestige retailers including Harvey Nichols.

Produced by one of the world’s leading distilleries in Polmos Lublin, 200km south east of Warsaw, Snow Leopard Vodka is made in small batches from natural spring water and distilled no fewer than four times. It owes its unique, smooth quality to its main ingredient – a grain called spelt.

Thanks to the fact that it’s been around for such a long time, spelt is often called an ancient grain. Its fresh, nutty taste was enjoyed by the Ancient Egyptians, who were farming spelt around 5,000 years ago. And thanks to its tough husk, which protects the grain from pollutants and insects, spelt can be grown without using pesticides.

Says Xhulio Sina, Bar Manager of Sketch, Mayfair: “This is not just any vodka from Poland, It is one of the best premium spirits on the market. Snow Leopard Vodka has a long and smooth finish, while being strong and gentle in the mouth. This is what I call a true vodka.”

Angelo Vieira, Bar Manager at the Light Bar, St Martin’s Lane Hotel, Covent Garden, describes Snow Leopard Vodka as well crafted and presented. “On the nose it is soft and rounded with cream soda, vanilla and honey overtones,” he says. “It is bold and gutsy, ultra smooth and has an exceptionally long and elegant finish.”

Eight select London restaurants and bars have created unique signature cocktails using Snow Leopard Vodka. Now that it’s available in Waitrose, you too can create the perfect Martini at home.

Here are a couple to hone your cocktail-making skills on…

MIAOWTINI

Ingredients:
75ml Snow Leopard Vodka
25ml Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth

Method:
Rinse ice in Vermouth, straining away the Vermouth. Add Snow Leopard Vodka to ice, stir and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Add a twist of lime zest to garnish.

(Created by Aidan Bryan at Claridge’s)

FELINE FATALE

Ingredients:
50ml Snow Leopard Vodka
12.5ml Grand Marnier
12.5ml Campari
25ml orange juice

Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a flamed orange twist.

(Created by Robert Wattie at The Lobby Bar, One Aldwych)

While you’re imagining sipping your cocktail, did we mention that Snow Leopard Vodka is also the world’s first ethical vodka? The brainchild of Stephen Sparrow, former global vice president at spirits giant Allied Domecq, Snow Leopard Vodka donates 15 per cent of its profits to wildlife charities involved in helping to save endangered species – including the creature the vodka was named after: the snow leopard.

Eight times bigger than the domestic cat, the snow leopard’s beauty is legendary, thanks to its soft grey, almost silver coat and black ringed spots. You can find them living high up in the mountain ranges of central Asia, in countries including China, India and Afghanistan.

As a species, however, the snow leopard is extremely rare – the worldwide population is estimated at between just 3,000 and 7,000, thanks partly to the fact they they are hunted by poachers for their amazing pelts. Snow Leopard Vodka hopes its contribution will help the long-term survival of this magnificent creature. So why not give your your taste buds a treat and at the same time do your bit for a very worthwhile conservation effort?

Find out more about the snow leopard conservation effort from the Snow Leopard Trust UK, an organisation set up by Snow Leopard Vodka at www.snowleopard.org

SNOW LEOPARD VODKA – Available at Claridges, One Aldwych, Harvey Nichols and Waitrose