MUYU, a modern liqueur

In February 2019, internationally renowned trio Alex Kratena, Monica Berg and Simone Caporale will launched Muyu, a range of three modern liqueurs made with natural ingredients. Combining a boutique perfume attitude with the team’s own cocktail philosophy, Muyu aims to bring extraordinary ingredients to modern bartenders. Inspired by a trip to the Amazon, Muyu will actively promote biodiversity through responsible sourcing, a share of profits from each bottle will also go towards NGOs doing meaningful work in the region. 

Taking its name from the word for ‘seed’ in Quechan languages, Monica, Simone and Alex have each designed one of the Muyu liqueurs – Jasmine Verte, Chinotto Nero and Vetiver Gris respectively. Working closely with De Kuyper Royal Distillers, the Dutch family business with over 320 years of experience in distilling high quality liqueurs, they have created a new way of composing flavour. Much like a ‘nose’ in perfumery, they compose individual ingredients to create their own blends which convey concepts of jasmine, chinotto and vetiver.

Each liquid begins with the extraction of a single note – the eponymous ingredient of each liqueur. Then the secondary sequence of ingredients are wrapped around each note to create a completely developed and complex liquid. A number of different techniques, including enfleurage, steam distillation, C02 extraction, and resinoïds, are used to extract the chosen flavours. These are then blended with alcohol, sugar, acids and water to create the final liquid.

The liqueurs are presented in bottles inspired by Muyu’s connection to the Amazon. Details include digital re-imaginings of traditional patterns used in body painting by indigenous communities in the region, references to global flora and fauna, and the colours of the rainforest itself. The overall aim is to capture the contrast of strength and fragility in the natural world.

Embodying Alex, Monica and Simone’s passion for creating the best tasting cocktails – a passion shared by De Kuyper

Royal Distillers - Muyu has been designed to be shared in highballs, mixed in cocktails and drunk on the rocks:

Muyu Jasmine Verte – Monica Berg
Floral, blooming, fresh, sensual and luminous Jasmine with accents of neroli, patchouli, yuzu and iris ABV 24%, 50cl

Muyu Chinotto Nero – Simone Caporale
Citrusy, opulent, zesty, lush and mystical Chinotto with accents of cinchona, oak moss, curacao orange and cacao ABV 24%, 50cl

Muyu Vetiver Gris – Alex Kratena
Earthy, woody, mystical, intriguing and endless Vetiver with accents of timur, patchouli, petit grains and cedarwood ABV 22%, 50cl 

Monica explains, “We first visited the Amazon in 2016 to explore the potential of Amazonian produce in cocktails, and we were so inspired by what we saw, but also realised we would contribute to the rainforest’s destruction if we sourced directly from there. 

Therefore we collaborate with leading experts to help us source, concentrate and capture aromatic substances of plants, flowers and fruits. The individual components either come from Grasse, a French town nicknamed the perfume capital of the world, or Schiedam, a Dutch city known for its historic distilleries such as our partners De Kuyper.

This process allows us to create a liqueur brand that enables bartenders to work with some of the most extraordinary ingredients available in the world, without taking anything away from the rainforest.”

Mark de Witte, CEO of De Kuyper Royal Distillers, comments “We are proud and happy to collaborate with renowned industry professionals Alex, Monica and Simone and believe that Muyu will make a real difference in offering excellent cocktail experiences to both bartenders and consumers.”

Muyu re-defines the liqueur category and delivers drinks that are unavailable anywhere else, whilst inspiring and implementing solutions to environmental crises.

The launch was celebrated with a pop-up Muyu Boutique at 67 Neal Street, Seven Dials, London WC2 9PJ, from 19th to 23rd February 2019 (1pm-9pm), where people will be able to drop in to buy a bottle or enjoy a product tasting with Alex, Simone and Monica. Designed like a stylish perfume boutique, the pop-up will be reminiscent of the collective’s approach to creating the liqueur.