Tea sommelier Robert Schinkel selected the best handpicked tea from the Dilmah tea gardens in Sri Lanka to form the basis of the very first tea liquor: Pekoe (pronounce as Pekko). The process caused quite some head-scratching, because tea leaves are not easy to distil. It does explain the distinct tea-like character of Pekoe. The world’s best tea combined with more than 225 years of experience in distillation resulted in a liquor with a soft sweetness and a hint of bitterness that will influence the palette in a unique way. The tea liquor comes in three flavours: Earl Grey, Supreme Ceylon and Jasmine Green Tea. All three are exciting enough to drink ‘on the rocks’, but they certainly don’t come out badly in a mix with soda, cola, tonic or ginger ale.
“Tea is as ancient as the world. But old-fashioned? Absolutely not!”
“The Dutch were the first to introduce tea in Europe during the time of the Dutch East India Company. It is my personal mission to introduce the world to a new Dutch liquor based on the world’s best tea from Sri Lanka, the former Dutch Ceylon”, says co-developer Robert Schinkel. “The versatility and the character of real tea are reflected beautifully in Pekoe’s liquors.” With an innovation award in the pocket, it may be said that the drink is a true addition to the liquor market, one with many possibilities.
For recipes and mixing suggestions, have a look at https://www.pekoe.nl/perfect-serves