Tempus Fugit Spirits is dedicated to the glory of the well-made cocktail.
Tempus Fugit Spirits was determined to seek out fine rare liquors that were once staples in classic pre-prohibition cocktails, but have been lost in time. In most cases, we re-create these liquors ourselves, using historic 19th century protocols, many cross-referenced in several languages, to arrive as close in taste to these forgotten spirits as is possible, or surpass them – rare fruit, flower and plant liqueurs, bitters, amari, vermouths and chinati – we pride ourselves in finding out what’s missing from the back-bar that our cocktailian friends are searching for.
Our focus is on what is often called a cocktail ‘modifier’; those spirit-based ingredients used to transform whisky, gin, rum, etc. into a cocktail. We find today this category abused by industrial methods of production, artificial flavours and colours. We know these liqueurs were created in the past to be drunk alone, as aperitifs or digestifs, and were made with great pride and care by the best distilleries and liquorists. We follow in their noble steps.
There are several products in the range with more on the way, but the two creating the most interest right now are:
Tempus Fugit Spirits Crème de Cacao – 24% (48 Proof)
Tempus Fugit Spirits Crème de Cacao is based on a 19th century recipe, cross-referenced in English and French. As terroir is important for all plant materials, and the original source of cacao for the best quality of Crème de Cacao was cacao from Venezuela and the best source of vanilla was from Mexico, it was important to us that we specifically sourced these two ingredients to reproduce the best quality of Crème de Cacao. The raw cacao is distilled and the distillate is then macerated with additional cacao and crushed whole vanilla bean. The process not only gives a depth of character, but also naturally colours the Crème de Cacao a medium brown. The term Crème was applied to these styles of spirits due to the creamy mouth-feel caused by the addition of a high concentration of sugar, in our case we use cane sugar. The finish on our Crème de Cacao is quite aromatic and round with intense, dusty-pure cacao flavours and light wisps of vanilla.
Tasting notes:“Unctuous, syrupy thick, light molasses brown colour. Off the charts sweetness and beaniness, with unequal amounts of cocoa (two-thirds) and vanilla (one-third) fragrances in the opening whiffs; the powdered cocoa comes to the forefront in the second inhalations, lusciously so. Amazingly cocoa-like and buttery at entry; midpalate is spot-on dark chocolate-like, but neither bitter nor semisweet; it’s just flat-out sweet. The suggestions are to either throw in a splash of soda water for a digestif or utilize this gummy liqueur in cocktails that call for crème de cacao. The best I’ve tasted, period.” – F. Paul Pacult – The Spirit Journal December 2011 5 Stars- Highest Recommendation
Gran Classico Bitter – 28% (56 proof)
is a bitter apéritif liqueur created following the “Italian Bitter of Turin” recipe dating from the 1860s. It was originally produced in Turin, Italy under the name Torino Gran Classico; the recipe had been purchased in 1925 by the small Swiss distillery E. Luginbühl and a version has been produced for mostly local consumption ever since. Gran Classico was developed by reverting back to the original recipe; it is made from a maceration of a mixture of 25 aromatic herbs and roots including wormwood, gentian, bitter orange peel, rhubarb, and hyssop. The maceration also creates a naturally attractive, golden-amber colour, and no additional colouring is added. Gran Classico Bitter stands alone on ice or with seltzer water, but has amazing range as a modifier for many recipes and spirits. It has offered the cocktailian culture a more complex, non-red alternative Bitter ingredient for the world-famous ‘Negroni’.
Tasting notes: Natural golden-amber colour. Aroma presents a multi-faceted bitter-sweetness of orange peel, gentian root and wormwood mingled with rhubarb and vanilla. The viscosity immediately highlights the sweet rhubarb, then the bitter gentian root and orange peel blend with wormwood, vanilla and resiny notes. Deep, layered and lingering finish that balances and alternates between the sweet and bitter.
Paul Pacult’s review: Tawny colour, with lots of floating debris. Aroma comes out swinging in grand herbal/root style, with special focus on rhubarb; aeration stimulates more of the orange peel and yet there is an alluring rooty/gentian bitter sweetness that’s immensely appealing. Entry is all about the rhubarb upfront, then in midpalate the gentian dominates before the orange peel comes rushing back in the finish as well as a piny/resiny quality that makes the aftertaste smashingly delicious. Campari drinkers take note: the ultimate expression of Bitter.
Awards: The Spirit Journal’s 130 Best Spirits in the World 2010 : Selected The Spirit Journal’s 13 Best Five Star Liqueurs and Absinthes for 2010 : Top Bitter (only one chosen) The Spirit Journal June 2010 : Five Stars – Highest Recommendation
The other products are:
Tempus Fugit Spirits Crème de Menthe Glaciale – 28%
Tempus Fugit Spirits Liqueur de Violettes – 22%
Tempus Fugit Spirits Crème de Noyaux – 30%
For more information visit vanguardluxurybrands.com.au or phone 1300 DRINKS.
Gotta say, I just bought a bottle of the creme de cacao (for around $39 with tax) and after bringing it home and doing a blind taste test in glencairns with a half decade old bottle Dekuyper’s, it’s not THAT big a difference. After making a 20th century with both and doing a blind taste test I found a slight difference in flavor, but nothing terribly dramatic, nor even that one was drastically superior than the other. I know the story of reviving the artisanal ways of making liqueurs from 19th century recipes (why exactly were liqueurs better in the 19th century?) makes for captivating advertising copy, but so far I don’t think the end result is roughly $30 per bottle better than the artificially flavored stuff.