8 Black Owned Spirits You Need To Try

A guide on some of the best black owned spirits and beverages you need to check out.

As part of black history month 2022, we were on a mission to seek out black-owned spirits that were making their mark in the alcohol industry.

Each brand has a unique story behind their product which links back to African and Caribbean roots, family history culture and giving back to the community.

We collaborated with each brand and created a signature recipe, photography and videography to demonstrate how to put the cocktails together.

Each recipe had been paired to complement the flavour profiles in each spirit.

Check out the brands and recipes below!

Flat Cap Drinks is a rum brand owned by Richard Mckitty whose roots stem from Burnt Savannah Westmoreland Jamaica to a family of 12. The name pays homage to his late father Billy Balton Mckitty 1936 - 2015, known for wearing flat caps.

The brand incorporates premium white base rum from the West Indies and adds natural flavours to give a slightly different accent and appeal to different palates. 

We created the beautifully fluffy and flavourful bakewell tart sour cocktail to compliment the rum - Check out the full recipe here

Our recipe was recently featured in Cosmopolitan check it out here!

L’Extase VSOP cognac champions the UK urban music scene and long-time fans of the music. The scene has had a major influence on the brand and it pays homage by incorporating key artists of the scene as ambassadors.

The production of this cognac links back to a family-run distillery in Segonzac, a village in the Cognac region of France. The cognac follows an intricate process of vinification, distillation, ageing, assembly and bottling to produce a luxury quality product. 

We created the L’Extase Elixir cocktail which is a smoked rosemary, peach and orange blend - Check out the full recipe here

Carisips aims to bring joyful memories of childhood, holidays and good times with friends & family. The flavours are renowned worldwide and represent culture, history, community and health.

They currently produce two flavours which are ginger zing and hibiscus punch, however, the range of 2 will soon become 4 as they introduce two new flavours that have not been announced yet! Not only do they aim to produce quality products but they have a philanthropic commitment to the community.

They support local people within Croydon (and neighbouring boroughs) through mentoring, work experience and employment.  

We created the sweet and floral Ginger & Hibiscus Gin Punch - Check out the full recipe here

Vusa vodka is made in the heart of Kwazulu Natal a province of South Africa. The smoothness of the vodka comes from the fact that unlike other vodkas made from wheat, potatoes or corn, Vusa is distilled with sugarcane which means there are fewer impurities. It is triple distilled in a copper pot still and uses the purest water of the lion’s river in the hills of Kwazulu- Natal. 

We created the tropical pineapple and ginger spritz cocktail - Check out the full recipe here

Kamō premium vodka is made with 100% natural ingredients, handcrafted and batch distilled giving you a superior quality vodka. It is a Birmingham-based brand which is co-owned by Lady Leshur and Dylan Duffas. Some of the brand's achievements include receiving the master’s medal at the prestigious Global Vodka Masters 2021 and was also featured on Forbes' world's best vodkas.

The brand supports the community by donating a percentage of all sales revenue to youth charities and organisations that provide help and support for young people. This includes a partnership with Music For Birmingham CIC which supports up-and-coming musicians in the West Midlands.  

We created the tasty and vibrant Blueberry Lagoon cocktail - Check out the full recipe here

Bayab gin is made on African soil in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. It uses botanicals plucked from the baobab tree that gives the gin a sweet citrus flavour. The baobab tree is native to the African savannah and can be referenced back to the tree that Rafiki called home in Disney’s Lion King and the Avatar! The gin houses 3 flavour variations which include the African classic dry, burnt orange and marula and African rose water.  

We created the pineapple, passionfruit and lime gin and tonic - Check out the full recipe here

Kromanti rum is botanically infused with authentic Caribbean herbs and spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and tamarind. The name originates from a historical enslavement fort on the coast of what is now Ghana. The Kromanti people understood how to use the natural ingredients around them to treat disease and care for themselves and each other.

The founder Cashain David grew up in a Grenadian household in Yorkshire, England. His frequent travels to the Caribbean planted the idea to collect and share old family traditions of infusing rums with local ingredients.  

We created the delicious Pineapple and Elderflower Fizz cocktail - Check out the full recipe here

Ugandan Waragi is known as The Spirit of Uganda. It is a bold, vibrant Gin that has over the years taken a leading role in bringing people together. Uganda gained its independence in 1962 and shortly after, the first manufactured, triple-distilled gin was made by a group of 26 blenders who formed the first association of Uganda Distillers led by Master Blender Joel Sentamu.

This unique gin was created by the lake shores in Port Bell, and the fresh waters of Lake Victoria. The labelling takes on the colours of the Ugandan flag and the crested crane bird symbol was chosen to represent a symbol of change and newfound freedom. 

We created the electric Pineapple Gin Blues cocktail - Check out the full recipe here