Made from leftover brewers’ yeast extract, Vegemite is a malty, umami-rich Australian breakfast spread. Typically “enjoyed” with a healthy portion of butter on toast, the spread is the epitome of polarizing food products. There are those who hate Vegemite, and then there are those who love it so much, they’ll try and capture its profile in a flavored liqueur.
That’s right — the folks at Archie Rose, a Sydney-based gin distillery, just created a Vegemite-flavored liqueur. Called ArchieMite Buttered Toast Spirit, the liqueur’s production combines a variety of yeast spreads, butter, and bread to create a drink that tastes just like the Australian breakfast.
Archie Rose collaborated with local suppliers Pepe Saya (dairy) and Sonoma (bakery) to make the mix using an incredible 55 pounds of butter and 30 pounds of sourdough bread. As Mashable points out, while the flavor profile might not be to everyone’s taste, Vegemite-flavored alcohol does make some sense given the spread itself is a by-product of beer brewing.
“It’s lots of fun,” Archie Rose master distiller Dave Withers said in a press statement referenced by Mashable. “Trying to describe how it tastes is like trying to describe the color blue. If you like that savory flavor of yeast-extract spreads, you’ll really enjoy it.”
For those who fall into the “like” camp, there’s a limited window of opportunity to get your hands on a bottle. Starting on May 8, Archie Rose is releasing just 3,000 bottles of the Vegemite-flavored liqueur. If you happen to be in the area, you can pick up a bottle at the distillery. Alternatively, ArchieMite will also be available online, though it’s unclear if international delivery will be an option.
Should you manage to get your hands on a bottle, very soon you could be enjoying some of Archie Rose’s delightful-sounding custom cocktails, including the Mitey Mary and the Espresso Mite-ini.
