Metaxa is sweet on the palate and lacks the sharpness of most spirits, making it a great choice if you’re up for experimenting with your drink.
It’s the start of a fresh new week, but we won’t hold you to the barrel for already making plans for Friday. After all, these plans keep us going through scores of meetings through the week—to come back to our favourite go-to spirit on a mellow, burnt-out Friday evening. If you relate to this, chances are that you’d find solace in the same drink that you’ve been loyal to, over the years. Or, if you’re one to experiment and add a bit of jazz to your prep for the upcoming weekend, browsing through stores for a funky new drink that could well be up your alley.
Fancy the latter? Remy Cointreau’s new spirit, Metaxa 12 Stars, claims to be exactly that.
So, what is Metaxa, really?
Honestly, nobody seems to know. Gagan Sharma, founder of Indulge India, who hosted an event showcasing Remy Cointreau’s new Metaxa, said that the house doesn’t want to categorise Metaxa. “We can’t quite fit it into a box, and Metaxa is potentially a category by itself,” he says.
That may indeed hold true, but the formula behind the Greece-sourced spirit is not unfamiliar by any standard. Based on the famous Muscat grapes—a mainstay of wine production for centuries—Metaxa comes with a base that’s warm and akin to the velvety nature of red wine on palate.
It is a spirit that, according to its makers, leaves behind the strength of alcohol. While we did find its sting to be on the lower end, it still retains the heft of a full-bodied spirit. Yet, there’s a bit of a gin-like characteristic to Metaxa—it’s on the sweeter, fruitier end. This, the makers, say, is thanks to the generous usage of botanicals while blending it.
In essence, then, Metaxa is sweet on the palate, and on the spirit spectrum, falls somewhere close to a gin. It is neither, but its makers vouch for its ability to be a part of various cocktails.
How can you mix it up?
If you prefer a sweet and slightly less alcoholic taste to your weekend spirit, Metaxa could well be up your alley to be had on the rocks. If you enjoy a Boulevardier (the bourbon-based version of a Negroni), you can try Metaxa (but dial down the red vermouth to balance the sweetness of the cocktail).
To be sure, Metaxa does not quite have the heavy body of a Monkey Shoulder, to work as a substitute for whiskey. But what it does is make for fun cocktails if you can balance the salt and spice correctly. Given that it comes with a sweet base, it may be a good choice for those who prefer to keep their spirits light (and lighthearted, too!)
As the makers would tell you, Indians love a brown drink, given the fandom that single malts enjoy in the country. While this has led to a barrage of new single malts being launched in the country, Metaxa certainly has the persona (and a bottle design to match) to level up with top-of-the-shelf whiskies.
It is now available across Maharashtra, at a price of INR 6,900. Should you try it? If you’re up for experimenting with your drink, it should certainly be on your radar.