Apologue says it’s making the world’s highest-quality saffron accessible to bartenders and at-home cocktail enthusiasts with the release of its newest expression. The intensely bright yellow-orange saffron liqueur is complemented by a blend of Middle Eastern fruits, roots, herbs and spices, transforming this complex flavor into a cocktail game changer.
“Each of Apologue’s liqueurs feature unique, regional ingredients that give cocktail enthusiasts access to new, interesting flavors” said Robby Haynes, co-founder of Apologue. “We started in our own backyard with Midwest ingredients like Aronia, Persimmon, and Celery Root, and with our first line extension, are expanding to South Asia with Saffron from Afghanistan.”
Inspired largely by Apologue co-founder Ziyad Asrar’s South Asian heritage and palate, Saffron offers an exotic and fragrant aroma that’s packed with classic Middle Eastern spices, cardamom and coriander. The flavors pair best with ginger beer, gin, vodka, funky rums, and cognac, and can be enjoyed neat or over ice. The team’s favorite cocktail? A Saffron Mule.
“Saffron is an often used but underappreciated ingredient in Indian and Pakistani cuisine,” said Asrar. You often see a lot of big flavors used together, intentionally clashing to create deep complexity in traditional dishes. We wanted to bring this mindset to the cocktail space with the release of our Saffron liqueur.”
On the production side, Apologue is partnering with Rumi Spice, a fellow Chicago-based Certified B Corp with a reputation for sourcing the highest quality Saffron in the world. Started by a team of US military veterans, Rumi sources saffron from local Afghan farms and employs more than 1900 women in Herat, Afghanistan to hand-harvest the delicate crimson stigmas of the flowers.
Apologue Saffron is available for $29.99 (375 mL) and $39.99 (750 mL) at select retailers nationwide. For more information about the brand, cocktail inspiration and more, visit www.apologueliqueurs.com and follow along on Instagram at @ApologueLiqueurs.
