Gin distiller Masons of Yorkshire moves into vodka with new trio

Gin distiller Masons of Yorkshire is making a major move into the vodka category.

The brand has created a trio of vodkas – Classic, Citrus and Espresso – in a bid to tap the booming trend for at-home cocktail making.

The Classic spirit had “a fresh and clean flavour, with a distinct purity”, said the brand, while the Espresso flavour was vapour-infused with coffee beans sourced from El Salvador and supplied by neighbouring Yorkshire roaster Rounton Coffee. The Citrus vodka, meanwhile, was “delicately infused with fresh lemon and grapefruit” to make “a crisp and punchy vodka”.

“We did have a vodka that we just did for the on-trade but we never pushed it at all, never tried with it,” said the brand’s co-founder Karl Mason.

“We just did it to see if we could. It sat in the background. After the rebrand, we said why didn’t we look at it? Everyone was asking if we were going to do rum, but we have this passion for clear white spirits where the flavour comes from distillation, not sticking it in a barrel and adding flavours.”

The drinks were ideal for at-home cocktail making, he said. “They are designed to make it easier. You can make an espresso martini with our vodka and you don’t need to trawl your cupboard.”

The brand hoped to stand out against competitors with its bottles, he added. “Our marketing team pointed out to us all these premium vodkas are in bottles 30cm tall. We’re going against the grain.”

They have rolled into Morrisons (rsp: £28/70cl).