Axia Extra Dry Mastiha 70 cl - Premium, Unsweetened White Spirit, 0.5% Sugar - 30% Less Calories than Vodka - Ideal for Cocktails and Tonic Serves

Product Information

Mastiha is sometimes confused with Ouzo, the classic Greek spirit. While both beverages are quintessentially Greek, they are different. A handheld, rake-like instrument is used to score the bark. The resin flows from the cuts and hardens into small crystal-like “mastiha tears.” The tears eventually fall to the ground where they are collected. The area beneath the trees is covered with a thin layer of white limestone powder to help keep the crystals clean.

There are pronounced citrus notes of orange and mandarin on the palate and a touch of lemon zest. The spirit has just a hint of candied sweetness, slightly marshmallow-like, which, along with the citrus notes, gives it a slight marmalade-like flavor. There is a hint of clove, a chili-like pepperiness, subtle resinous notes of pine pitch and a persistent herbal note.

Axia is the world’s first extra dry spirit strength mastiha (pronounced MasTikaa). Produced from mastic trees that originate and grow in the southern part of the Greek Island of Chios. Cultivating mastic is an age old and sustainable practice that is both time and labor intensive. The treeis“milked” and left to dry in the wind, which forms mastic crystals that are collected, cleaned and graded by hand. Axiaproduction includes maceration, distillationand “ageing” as parts of the unique recipe, with the total processlastingover a month.The end result is a premium, unsweetened 40% ABV spirit with velvety flavour notes of bergamot, cedar, cypress, mint, grass and pepper and a fragrant, rose aroma.

Axia is twice distilled in hand-crafted copper stills on the island of Lesvos, bottles at 40% ABV with 0.5% sugar and no additives or sweeteners. We have a programme. We launched in the UK and the US. Now, in Greece. These are the first three targets. We have to establish the brand in these markets to let the people know our product. It’s a product of innovation. We are using raw material that was used 2,500 years ago. The plan is to establish it all over Greece, then go outside and expand – make it bigger. Giannis Miliotis, global brand ambassador for Axia What’s your favourite thing about the spirit?Axia can be served simply - tall over ice with Mediterranean tonic water and garnished with rosemary leaf, star anise and peppercorns. The spirit is crystal clear. On the nose, it’s semi-dry with green vegetative notes of cut grass and notes of mint, anise and menthol, along with some floral potpourri, especially rose petal and dried bergamot aromas. There is a bit of wet stone minerality accompanied by some spicy notes and a bit of pepper. The brand has been created by Adrian Clarke, a seventh-generation member of the Bacardi family, and Nikos Kalogiannis, a fifth-generation distiller of ouzo. Axia founders Adrian Clarke and Nikos Kalogiannis said: “We are proudly mixing ancient traditions with new ideas and processes and introducing the incomparable taste of mastiha to a new generation of flavour chasers and spirits enthusiasts.” On the nose, Axia boasts aromas of fresh cut grass, rose water and dried orange peels. On the palate, notes of earth pine and cedar are presented, balanced with bergamot, cypress and citrus flavours.