Spice 94
Our hero ingredient in Spice 94, Allspice Pimenta Dioica is a truly very special, underestimated berry.
An evergreen tree from the Myrtle family and only grown in tropical climates, the Pimenta dioica can grow to over 30ft high. They feature small white blossom & six-inch long aromatic green leaves. The trees fruit at 3 years and the best harvest time is August.
Sourcing All Spice
We source our berries from Jamaica, which is known to have the highest grade Allspice in the world. I was lucky to visit our farmer Mr Sherlock at harvest time. His trees grow in the limestone hills in the southwestern part of Jamaica and are grown as a canopy to provide shade for coffee plants.
Our berries are picked when they are bright green & are then spread out over concrete to dry naturally in the sun over four days, where they turn their deep reddish brown. They are then stored in hessian sacks to retain all their aromatic essential oils.
A Little History
The Mayans were known to use Allspice as an embalming agent & to flavour Chocolate. It wasn’t until 1621 that the British named the berry “Allspice”, due to its strong aromatic flavour & combined aromas of Cloves, Pepper, Cinnamon & Nutmeg. In fact in the Art of Distillation, the book I discovered that informed our spirits, Allspice was actually referred to as Bayberry.
Why the 94?
94 refers to the year 1494, when European explorers introduced Jamaican Allspice berries to Europe, thinking they’d found pepper. Hence its Latin name, Pimenta meaning peppercorn.
The Secret Link
The ‘godfather’ of botany, Carolus Linnæus developed the two word latin naming system that we now have for plants. He also gave 4000 animals their latin name. Both the Allspice berry and the Red Fox [on the front of Spice 94], were given their latin names by Linnæus back in 1758… So there’s method behind our madness!
Eating
Allspice is one of the most important ingredients of Caribbean cuisine – Jerk chicken anyone?
It also works brilliantly in Middle Eastern dishes. Pulled Allspice Lamb with Pomegranate, Red Onion and humous in a wrap is delicious.
Drinking
Ginger Ale pairs really well with Seedlip Spice 94 and makes for a warming seasonal drink during the Autumn and Winter months.
Simply fill a tumbler with ice, add 50ml / 2oz of Seedlip Spice 94, top with a good quality Ginger Ale [we like Fever Tree’s] & garnish with some Orange peel.
Take a sip, salute Mr Sherlock and enjoy.
