Since Noma was dubbed the inheritor of El Bulli’s world’s best restaurant title, somewhere in the early 2010s, Copenhagen has become known for its inventive culinary scene. Now, thanks to some of the restaurant’s alumni, Lars Williams and Mark Emil Hermansen, the city is receiving well-deserved credit for its drinks. In 2017 the duo launched Empirical, a free-form spirits company, and the brand has just unveiled its latest offering for fall, Symphony 6.
Inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 (the “Pastoral Symphony”), his love letter to nature, the latest release from Empirical explores six highly aromatic leaves: mandarin orange, lemon, coffee (rolled and unrolled), blackcurrant, and fig, as well as ambrette seeds and vetiver roots. The new spirits features the most botanicals that Empirical has ever used in a spirit, which was designed to excel in variations on iconic drinks like the Martini, Gimlet, and French 75.
Designed to taste like an “Eternal Summer Any Time of Year,” Empirical Symphony 6 is a warm pink reminiscent of summer twilight. The nose leads with citrus notes and fragrant blackcurrant buds, which transition to a darker bouquet. The palate finds more blackcurrant, followed by refreshing citrus acidity. The green and fruity fig leaves are then expressed, succeeded by the leathery muskiness of coffee leaves and ambrette seeds to finish on the length of vetiver roots.
“Symphony 6 is the first Empirical spirit to feature this many different botanicals,” says Williams. “It was incredibly interesting to find ways for each botanical to shine, while also complementing each other. We used vacuum distillation to preserve and capture all of these incredible delicate flavors. We also leaned into the world of perfume to create an emotional through-line and worked with ingredients used in fragrances, vetiver roots and ambrette seeds, which are uncommon in the spirits world. Most importantly, it is delicious, highly versatile and easily swaps in for traditional clear spirits to add a new and exciting layer of complexity to classic cocktails.”
Symphony 6 delves into six leaves that, despite imparting profound aromas, are often discarded. Mandarin orange and lemon leaves bring refreshing bright acidity and light fruity notes. To create contrast, rolled and unrolled coffee leaves impart darker, leather notes. To flesh out the narrative, fig leaves lend green and earthy flavors and a cooling sensation mimicking finding shade on a sun-drenched day. To tune up the high notes, blackcurrant buds add biting, green and sulfurous notes. Ambrette seeds and vetiver roots highlight the darker notes to reveal a distinctly musky and warm spirit.
To celebrate the release, four cocktails featuring Symphony 6 will be available at New York’s Midnight Cafe:
- Tropical Rock Storm – A Negroni variation with Empirical Symphony 6, Campari, Cocchi Torino, Dolin Sweet Vermouth and coconut water
- Dancing Richard – A complex take on the Espresso Martini with Empirical Symphony 6, Kahlúa, espresso, simple syrup and saline solution
- Warner’s Delight – An elevated Sour with Empirical Symphony 6, Empirical Ayuuk, Italicus, satsuma syrup and lemon juice
- Beaucoup Bucks – A salute to the Japanese Highball, with Empirical Symphony 6, Suntory Toki Japanese Blended Whisky, goldenberry koji syrup, bitters and Fever-Tree Club Soda
In addition to upcycling aromatic ingredients that are often discarded, Empirical tries wherever possible to source ingredients close to where the spirit is crafted. Symphony 6 is produced for the U.S. market at Barrel Brothers Brewing in Windsor, California, since the leaves of mandarin orange, lemon, coffee and fig are procured in California. This distillery was also chosen because of its use of vacuum distillation, which has been supplemented with additional technology by Empirical. For the rest of the world, Symphony 6 is produced at the company’s distillery in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The ingredients of Symphony 6 are macerated in Empirical’s own base spirit’s low wines distilled from Pilsner Malt fermented with Belgian Saison 2 yeast. The citrus leaves are macerated first. The coffee leaves are treated like tea and are bruised, oxidized and dried prior to their separate maceration. Fig leaves represent a third maceration. These are then distilled and blended to form a base spirit that is then married with an infusion of blackcurrant buds, coffee leaves, ambrette seeds and vetiver seeds and brought to proof with reverse osmosis water. All-natural cochineal extract provides its warm and vibrant pink color.
Bottled at 40% ABV, Empirical Symphony 6 is available for $50 per 750ml bottle and can be purchased via the brand’s official website.
Earlier this year, the free-form spirits company launched Soka.