Meet the White Spirit from Greece, Axia

If you would like to try something new and different this year, look no further than Axia Spirit, an exciting addition to the white spirits category that will make sure to twist up your go to drink. Axia also has less calories per serve than other white spirits like gin and vodka, making it a lighter serve.

1) WHAT IS AXIA?

A first of its kind, Axia is an extra-dry and unsweetened Mastiha. Pronounced “Mas – teek – ah”, it is a spirit distilled from the resin of the mastiha tree, found on the Greek island of Chios. With fewer calories per serve than vodka and gin, Axia is a new and exciting addition to the white spirits category. 

2) WHAT DOES AXIA TASTE LIKE?

Axia is a Mastiha spirit with notes of rose, cypress, citrus, and bergamot. Since the spirit is unsweetened, its versatility allows for it to be a base in popular cocktails such as a Margarita, Negroni or Bloody Mary.

3) WHAT DOES THE NAME ‘AXIA’ MEAN? 

Both Axia’s name and bottle pay homage to the spirit’s past and traditions. Axia in Greek means ‘value’ or ‘worth’ and the coiled snake around the striking bottle recognises the island of Chios, also known as “Snake Island”, where the Mastiha crystals are harvested. In Chios, Mastiha crystals were rumoured to be used as an antidote to snake bites and in Ancient Greece they were so precious they were used as currency. 

4) WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THE DESIGN OF THE BOTTLE? 

The bottle was designed by American artist, Zoe Keller. Each element on the label reflects Axia’s heritage and ingredients, namely the branches of the mastic tree, mastic tree seeds and the snakes that inhabited Chios Island in Greece.   

5) HOW TO DRINK AXIA?

Axia is a versatile spirit with an authentic flavour profile with vibrant citrus and vegetal notes and is delicious served neat, on the rocks or in popular cocktails with a white spirit base such as:

AXIA & TONIC
50ml Axia Spirit | 150ml Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic
Pour Axia into a chilled tall glass, add ice cubes, and top with tonic. Stir and garnish with a rosemary leaf and a slice of orange.

AXIA MASTIHA MARGARITA
45ml Axia Spirit | 25ml Triple Sec | 7.5ml Agave | 22.5ml Fresh Lime Juice
Line the tumbler rim with salt. Mix all the ingredients in a shaker, give it a shake, and pour over ice. 

AXIA GREEK PALOMA  
50ml Axia Spirit | 150ml Pink Grapefruit Soda | Lime
Pour Axia into a chilled tall glass, add ice cubes, and top with pink grapefruit soda and a squeeze of lime juice. Garnish with a slice of lime.

BLOODY MEDUSA
45ml Axia Spirit | 150ml Tomato Juice | 2 Dashes of Worcestershire Sauce | 1tsp Lemon Juice | Pinch of Celery Salt | Tabasco to Taste | Black Pepper
Add ice cubes into a tall glass and pour in the Bloody Mary ingredients and stir. Garnish with celery, olives, and a lemon wedge.

AXIA WHITE NEGRONI
30ml Axia Spirit | 30ml Gentian Liqueur | 30ml Dry Vermouth 
Stir ingredients and serve over ice cubes. Garnish with a lemon twist.

AXIA SOUR 
50ml Axia Spirit | 10ml Triple Sec | 25ml Fresh Lemon Juice | 18ml Simple Syrup (1:1 ratio) | 2 Dashes of Aromatic Bitters | Egg White
Shake all ingredients and fine strain over ice cubes into a short tumbler or lowball glass. Garnish with a basil leaf and some lemon peel.

6) WHERE IS AXIA MADE? 

Axia is distilled at Plomari in Lesbos, Greece by Master Distiller, Maroussa Tsachaki.

7) WHERE CAN I BUY AXIA?

Axia is available to purchase from Amazon, Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange.
RRP: £31.95. ABV: 40%.

8) WHERE CAN I TRY AXIA IN LONDON?

Zephyr, Notting Hill
GOLD, Notting Hill
ROVI, Fitzrovia
NOPI, Soho
The Blind Pig, Soho
The Life Goddess, Soho
Silverleaf, Liverpool Street
Tavernaki, Portobello Road
Sohaila, Shoreditch
Tayer + Elementary, Islington
Sessions Art Club, Clerkenwell
Brother Marcus
Pachamama
The Real Greek