Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass Spirit 70cl / 30%

Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass 70cl is a French flavoured spirit from Grey Goose, made with Grey Goose vodka plus real fruit and botanical essences and bottled at 30% ABV. Wild strawberry sits up front, yet the lemongrass keeps it green and fresh, so it never tastes jammy. At 30% ABV it falls below the 37.5% legal minimum for vodka, which makes it a vodka-based spirit drink rather than a vodka. It often turns up in searches for strawberry vodka, and it suits anyone who prefers long, light drinks on a warm afternoon. Wodka Company sends Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass to addresses across the UK from its London shop.

Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass tasting notes

• Nose: Sun-warmed wild strawberries, a snap of fresh lemongrass and a faint trace of lemon zest.
• Palate: Light and juicy, with red berry fruit kept in check by a cool, citrusy herbal line. It never turns syrupy.
• Finish: Short, dry and clean, leaving lemongrass and a little strawberry skin behind.

How to drink Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass

Keep the bottle in the fridge and pour 50 ml over plenty of ice in a large wine glass or highball, then lengthen it with a generous splash of mixer. Serve it with goat's cheese crostini, a chicken and strawberry salad or a bowl of fresh berries and cream, and save it for garden lunches, barbecues and long summer evenings.

Cocktails with Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass

• Strawberry Lemongrass Highball: 50 ml over ice in a tall glass, topped with 150 ml soda water and garnished with a halved strawberry and a strip of lemon peel.
• Garden Spritz: 40 ml in a wine glass with ice, 60 ml dry prosecco and 60 ml soda water, finished with a cucumber ribbon.
• Strawberry Sour: 50 ml shaken hard with 20 ml fresh lemon juice and 10 ml sugar syrup, then strained over fresh ice in a rocks glass.

How it compares

Among the three Essences on our shelves, this is the brightest and most aromatic. Grey Goose Essences Watermelon & Basil is juicier and more savoury, with a peppery leaf note, while Grey Goose Essences White Peach & Rosemary is softer and rounder. Grey Goose Pure Plain Vodka, at 40% ABV, has no fruit and a fuller texture.

Good to know

Grey Goose belongs to Bacardi, and the Essences line is designed to be lengthened with a mixer rather than sipped neat. A 70cl bottle gives about fourteen 50 ml serves, enough for a summer gathering.