The Vodka
Once upon a time, there was a Dutchman with a dream to create the world’s best seafood-pairing vodka. And so he did.
Saying no to the boring and the bland – that’s the formula of our responsibly celebrated vodka. OYESTER44 is a small-badge botanical vodka that is crafted in a distillery located at just four steps from the sea in harbour town Bruinisse.
After combining organic new potatoes with the zesty herb vervain and lemon balm, our unique maritime mix of delicate oyster infusion and drops of filtered Oosterschelde seawater is added. This provides OYESTER44 with its smooth taste, subtle salinity and citrus-freshness that perfectly complements fine seafood of any kind.
Whether deliciously pure or as an ideal flavour enhancer in adventurous cocktails, it’s vodka made in the finest tradition. OYESTER44 is a commitment to local cultivation, certified sustainability and fun-loving luxury in the now and the next. Are you in?
The ingredients
OYESTER products are 100% natural and traceable, as we use ethically sourced and local ingredients. From crop to cork, every step is made in the Netherlands.
Vervain & lemon balm
Jacqueline and Chris Monden are the owners of the “Kruidenaer” nursery, where they grow over thirty types of herbs. Their vervain and lemon balm contribute to our vodka with an essential zesty and a fresh element. The best thing about it all? They are “Planet Proof” certified, which ensures their nursery works sustainably.
Jacqueline & Chris Monden
“De Kruidenaer” – Etten-Leur
ORGANIC POTATOES
The new potatoes that are at the heart of OYESTER44 are being supplied by the organic farm of the Van Tiggelen family. These potatoes take care of our vodka’s smooth and creamy finish, but as they are cultivated in the coastal nature reserve “The Brabantse Wal” they also add a subtle maritime saltiness.
Cees van Tiggelen – Halsteren
Oysters
OYESTER44 would, obviously, be nothing without its oyster distillate. We found the perfect oysters to use in the MSC-certified oysters of the “Oesterij” in Yerseke. Owner Jean Dooghe and his family have been cultivating shellfish since 1906 and -supplying them to fine dining restaurants all over the world ever since. The oyster that we use, called the “Imperial” oyster, is a local flat-shaped variety with a mild saltiness and a distinctive, nutty flavour profile.
Dhooge family – “De Oesterij” – Yerseke
The Awards
We knew that our OYESTER44 vodka was highly appreciated by friends, family and various Dutch restaurants and bars from the very beginning, but we couldn’t help but wonder if the world was ready for us. This is why we decided to enter two of the most prestigious awards’ competitions of the world in 2018.
New York International
Spirits Competition
New York 2018
In the world’s only international spirits competition judged by real trade buyers – the people who decide what America’s off-licences, bars and supermarkets stock – the spirits are judged purely on their quality and taste profile. We were thrilled to hear that OYESTER44 won a Golden Medal, meaning that the jury absolutely loved the vodka and would definitely recommend and purchase it.
Result: 95/100 score.
International Wine &
Spirits Competition
London 2018
OYESTER44 won three prestigious awards: two “Silver Outstanding Awards” in the Flavoured Vodka and Vodka & Tonic categories and one Silver Design Award. The jury noted the following: “Shellfish salinity with a touch of shoreline – certainly evocative over a bowl of oysters. More subtle shellfish notes to start, but the flavours are well integrated with the alcohol. There’s a little pepper spice before a long, dry finish.”
Result: 89.9/100 score.
The Cocktails
You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy the ingredients to make delicious cocktails with our vodka. That’s kind of the same thing anyway.
120ml Pure tomato Juice
4 dashes Dashi-Iri Ponzu Yuzu
1 tsp Wasabi Furikake
5ml Sugar Syrup
Glassware: Tall glass – gently rub half a lemon round the rim, dip in the Wasabi.
Garnish: Load a cocktail stick woth pickled onions, cumcumber and slices of spring onions. Serve/enjoy with a sustainable paper staw.
100ml Sparkling Cassis
We use Hero Classic – though you can make your own
Glassware: Tall glass/Highball
Garnish: Cocktail stick with blackberries, raspberries and blackcurrants on it. Add a sprig of mint to the glass.
Own twist: To make your own sparkling cassis, just add 10ml of crème de Cassis to 90ml of sparkling water and stir well.
20ml Coffee liqueur
30ml Espresso coffee
10ml Full fat cream
Glassware: Chilled Martini glass
Garnish: 3 coffee beans
MARTINI
15ml Noilly Prat
10ml Green olive brine
Glassware: Chilled Martini glass
Garnish: 2 green olives on a cocktail stick and a twisted rind of lemon.
15ml Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters
top up with Ginger Beer
Glassware: Copa de Balon, Mason Jar or Highball glass.
Garnish: sprig of Mint and 2 lime wedges.
100ml organic apple juice
Garnish: Apple slices on a cocktail stick
100ml east Imperial Yuzu Tonic
Glassware: Highball, Copa de Balon, Mason Jar
Garnish: Redhorn Whose seaweed, a sprig of lemon thyme and lemon zest.
The combinations
OYESTER44 is clearly a bartender’s favourite, but the appreciation doesn’t stop there. Many highly rated seafood chefs love matching our vodka with their beautiful plates of caviar, lobster and – how surprising – oysters. Check out the stories on the website and our Instagram for amazing recipes, food pairing inspiration and other exciting news we can’t keep to ourselves.