MurLarkey Distilled Spirits has expanded its collection of all-natural infused whiskeys with two new flavors—cocoa and banana. George ‘Papi’ Zwetkow, MurLarkey product master, and Mike Larkin, co-founder and president of the Bristow-based distillery, began producing fresh, naturally-infused flavored whiskeys in July. The addition of cocoa and banana will bring MurLarkey’s collection of farm-to-flask spirits to eight.
Zwetkow and Larkin capitalized on the beloved chocolate-whiskey combination to produce their Cocoa Whiskey, an aged spirit derived from pouring their award-winning white whiskey over a barrel of all-natural cocoa pieces. Their Banana Whiskey is crafted in much the same way, while the Justice White Whiskey is combined with all-natural baby bananas and left to infuse in a white oak barrel. Each can be enjoyed neat or as a flavorful addition to a plethora of cocktail creations.
The duo’s initial infusions included Cincerity, a cinnamon whiskey, and Clemoncy, a lemon-infused whiskey. In September, they revealed Coffee Whiskey, a smooth blend of MurLarkey’s Justice White Whiskey and gourmet coffee beans from Vint Hill Coffee, as well as an Orange Whiskey crafted with White Whiskey, organic navel orange slices and Madagascar vanilla beans. MurLarkey’s craftsmen recommend serving their Coffee Whiskey chilled with a splash of cream or blended into a hot dessert cocktail. Orange Whiskey makes the perfect addition to a refreshing Orange Crush.
Co-Founder and CEO of MurLarkey Distilled Spirits, Tom Murray, comments on the process of selecting the collection’s newest flavors. “Each weekend over the past three months, dozens of our new infusions have been empirically tested at focus groups by hundreds of MurLarkey Distillery tasting room patrons right here in Bristow, Va.,” says Murray. “Only those scoring the highest with our focus patrons made the cut for our initial commercial releases.”
Each all-natural whiskey in the flavored MurLarkey line is fresh and certified gluten-free. MurLarkey’s newest flavors, cocoa and banana, will be available for purchase and sampling at the distillery’s tasting room. They may also be purchased for $29.99 by special order though Virginia ABC stores. Distribution throughout the District of Columbia will be completed by Breakthru Beverage Group.
Author: Grace Silipigni
