Empirical Cilantro Spirit 750ML

Empirical Cilantro Spirit 750ML is a 38% ABV (76 proof) botanical spirit built on a French wheat base and designed to capture the full aromatic profile of fresh cilantro. Launched in October 2024, it stands as the first spirit engineered specifically to preserve the volatile, delicate flavors of cilantro leaf and stem — compounds that traditional distillation typically destroys.

Quick Facts: ABV: 38% (76 proof)  |  Origin: Brooklyn, New York, USA  |  Style: Botanical Spirit  |  Distillery: Empirical Spirits

Production & Heritage

Empirical Spirits, founded in Copenhagen by former Noma fermentation lab directors Lars Williams and Mark Emil Hermansen, relocated key operations to Brooklyn, New York. The Cilantro expression uses a proprietary extraction process combined with vacuum distillation conducted at temperatures as low as 48°F (9°C), far below what conventional pot or column stills achieve. This cold-process approach captures heat-sensitive aromatic compounds from fresh cilantro and blends them with a light French wheat spirit, resulting in a bottling that reads more like a living herb than a distillate. Tomatillo, lime, and a touch of vinegar are incorporated to unify and illuminate the green, herbaceous character.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Fresh cilantro leaves and stems dominate the nose immediately, followed by zesty lime peel and a subtle undercurrent of green tomato. The overall impression is garden-bright and surprisingly true to the raw herb.

Taste: The entry is sprightly and citrus-forward, with an unmistakable fresh cilantro character that avoids any soapy or artificial quality. Mid-palate, tomatillo and green stem notes emerge, adding savory depth. Lime threads through the entire progression, keeping the profile lively and lifted.

Finish: Medium-long with a satisfying dry minerality that anchors the herbaceous top notes. Hints of fennel and green tomato linger alongside gentle warmth and fading citrus.

How to Drink Cilantro Spirit

Chilled and neat in a small pour allows the full aromatic complexity to unfold — the low ABV makes it approachable without dilution. On the rocks, it softens into a refreshing sipper, especially in warm weather.

• Collins: Substitute for gin in a Tom Collins to add an herbal, savory twist that pairs naturally with citrus and soda.
• Last Word variation: Replace Chartreuse with Cilantro Spirit for a brighter, more herbaceous take on the classic equal-parts formula.
• Margarita riff: Use alongside or in place of a portion of tequila blanco to amplify the cilantro-lime interplay already present in the cocktail.

Best For

• Adventurous home bartenders looking for a genuinely novel cocktail ingredient
• Gifting to culinary professionals or food-obsessed friends
• Dinner party conversation starters that double as an aperitif
• Exploring the boundary between spirits and culinary ingredients

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cilantro Spirit taste like? It tastes unmistakably of fresh cilantro leaf and stem, brightened by lime and green tomato, with a dry mineral finish — nothing artificial or soapy about it.

How does Cilantro Spirit compare to gin? Where gin relies on juniper as its defining botanical, Empirical's Cilantro Spirit centers entirely on cilantro with supporting notes of tomatillo and lime; it shares gin's versatility in cocktails but delivers a completely different aromatic profile at a slightly lower 38% ABV.

Is Cilantro Spirit good for cocktails? It excels in cocktails, functioning as a direct substitute for gin or green Chartreuse in recipes where herbal complexity is desired, particularly in citrus-forward drinks like Collins variations and Margarita riffs.

Where is Cilantro Spirit made? It is produced by Empirical Spirits in Brooklyn, New York, a distillery originally founded in Copenhagen by former fermentation specialists from the restaurant Noma.

What foods pair well with Cilantro Spirit? Ceviche benefits from the shared lime-cilantro axis; Vietnamese summer rolls echo the fresh herb character; grilled shrimp with salsa verde mirrors the savory green notes; aged goat cheese contrasts the bright acidity; and roasted tomatillo dishes create a seamless bridge to the spirit's tomatillo undertone.

What sizes does Cilantro Spirit come in? Empirical Cilantro Spirit is available in the standard 750ml bottle.

Is Cilantro Spirit worth the price? It positions as a premium specialty spirit within Empirical's innovative range; the proprietary low-temperature extraction process and singular flavor profile place it in a category with very few direct competitors, offering genuine novelty rather than incremental variation on existing styles.

Why Cilantro Spirit?

No other commercial spirit attempts what this bottling achieves: a faithful, full-spectrum capture of fresh cilantro aroma and flavor in a shelf-stable spirit. The vacuum distillation at temperatures as low as 48°F preserves volatile compounds that would be stripped away in a conventional still, and the supporting cast of tomatillo, lime, and vinegar adds structural complexity without masking the star ingredient. For bartenders and home enthusiasts who have exhausted the usual botanical spirit options, Cilantro Spirit opens genuinely new territory — it is not a flavored vodka or an infusion, but a purpose-built extraction that functions as both a standalone sipper and a serious cocktail component.