Ghost Vodka The Union Jack Edition

Ghost Vodka launched in 2015 from Ghost Drinks in England and has built a following in London bars on the strength of its skull bottle and its liquid alike, with this edition carrying the British flag. It is made from spring wheat grown in the nutrient-rich, salt-influenced fields of Cambridgeshire, then taken through a fivefold distillation. Wheat gives a soft base, but the salt-field growing and the repeated distillation push it somewhere more characterful, with a flavour the brand likens to honeydew melon.

The nose is fruity with caramel and a nutty edge, the palate smooth and warm with hints of spice, fennel, leather, caramel and vanilla, and the finish is long. This is a sipping vodka with real flavour to show, so take it neat straight from the freezer in a small chilled glass, where the cold concentrates the savoury, melon and caramel notes and the fivefold-distilled body stays smooth, with the rocks as an alternative if you want it to open up further.