Toast to Snow Leopard Vodka and save the endangered cats
The sleek bottle with frosted bottom, graced by a snow leopard
There is more to a name than meets the eye.
With Snow Leopard Vodka, that is certainly the case.
Rare Cat, Premium Vodka
Long story short, the founder of Snow Leopard Vodka, Stephen Sparrow, was spurred by the plight of snow leopards to create the best vodka possible, as an attempt to raise funds to save the endangered cats.
An estimated 3,500 to 7,000 snow leopards are left in the wild today, and its population is expected to drop, due partly to habitat loss and retaliatory killings from farmers protecting their livestock.
Currently, 15 per cent of the profits from the sale of the vodka are channelled directly to Snow Leopard conversation projects through the Snow Leopard Trust.
With that in mind, I headed to the International Snow Leopard Day celebration (Oct 23), organised by the vodka brand, anticipating some serious conversations on the endangered species.
Organised by Snow Leopard Vodka and held at Fu Lin, a yong tau foo stall by day and bar by night, the event turned out to be meaningful — but with no lack of fun.
Drink to a Good Cause
There are estimated to be between 3,500 and 7,000 Snow Leopards left in the wild
At first sip, the vodka was incredibly smooth with a fresh floral and anise aroma.
A second mouthful revealed its rich body of vanilla and nutty flavours. The ending had a clean finish, testament to the drink’s quality.
Hand crafted in small batches using natural spring water, rare spelt grain — vodka is commonly made with rice, rye or wheat — and distilled six times, the vodka is produced in Poland by one of the world’s finest distilleries.
Clean, Fresh and Smooth
The Himalayan Spritzer is a refreshing and fruity cocktail created with Snow Leopard Vodka
Other cocktails concocted with Snow Leopard Vodka were also showcased, with a ‘live’ demonstration and a hands-on workshop.
Each of the cocktails; Himalayan Spritzer, Conservation Martini and Pink Panther brought out the clean and smooth flavours of the Snow Leopard Day in different ways.
I was particularly intrigued by the Himalayan Spritzer and decided to try my hand at it.
Turns out, it was no easy feat trying to achieve the various cocktail making techniques.
I had to muddle a variety of citrus fruits to extract their flavours before measuring out precise quantities of Snow Leopard Vodka, Cherry Brandy and Prosecco.
The resulting drink was refreshing and light on the palette, with a fruity taste to boot, perfectly showing off the smoothness of the Snow Leopard Vodka.
Snow Leopard Vodka is available for $118 (700ml) at liquor stores, but prices vary depending on the bars/clubs.
by Samantha Francis
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