Kleos Mastiha with Effie Panagopoulos

There’s a couple things that make Homer’s Daiquiri the perfect drink to introduce yourself to Mastiha. First, the daiquiri (or, more generally, the SOUR format) is one of a few formats that smart drinkers use to judge the quality of a spirit or perhaps a new bar or bartender. Other popular formats, of course, include the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Martini, and Negroni. Simple drinks that demand proper technique and balance.

Second, there’s something about KLEOS Mastiha as a product that makes it eminently flexible. It contains booze, intense aromatics, and even a little bit of sweetness, which means there’s a lot you can do to really dial in your perfect flavor profile when you’re working with it. For example, the daiquiri isn’t an equal parts cocktail – AND YET – the recipe for Homer’s Daiquiri is pretty much an equal parts formula until you get to that simple syrup. Essentially, what Effie has done here is preserve the taste balance of the daiquiri by propping up the light sweetness of the Mastiha with a little simple syrup, while still allowing the aromatics in her spirit to come through and surprise our palates.

Of course, purists are going to tell you that this isn’t a true daiquiri, and in a sense, they’re right. But we bet there were also a few haters out there who kept asking Homer why he kept walking around reciting poetry about some dude named Odysseus, so in this debate, let’s let history be the judge.

As a PDO, a protected designation of origin ingredient, Mastiha is required by law to be sourced and bottled in Greece. Through intense trial and error with issues from consistency to viscosity, Effie worked with Greek distilleries to perfect the KLEOS recipe. As the first greek female to create a liquor brand, Effie found it apropos to team up with the first greek female distiller to produce her spirit. KLEOS undergoes double distillation through two forms of Mastiha. The first round, raw resin, allows for the extraction of flavor and aroma compounds while the second round, essential oil, rectifies the spirit to ensure there is no variance. This laborious process is worth it, however, as KLEOS has been rated the highest Mastiha globally with 5+ stars from the English spirits industry writer and publisher Simon Difford, and 94 points in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Effie recognized that America does not have enough of an aperitif and digestif drinking culture for KLEOS to survive on its own. The challenge, which she dominated with an incredible vigor, was to create a Mastiha good enough to drink on the rocks, but also simple enough to be used as a workhorse for the bar. KLEOS is perfectly that; everything a bartender, spirit fanatic, and cocktail enthusiast could want and more.

Drinks to Make:

Signature cocktail for KLEOS is the KLEO-PATRA JONES. The recipe is right on the bottle. Effie also riffed off this drink to make the BIG IN JAPAN – KLEOS, Shiso, and Lemon.

How to get your hands on KLEOS Mastiha:

United States – Greek Wines Delivered – Ships to Alaska, California, DC, Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Virginia, and Wyoming.

International – The Whiskey Exchange, Master of Malt, Amazon.co.uk

Lightining Round

Favorite Cocktail

I’m going to go with a KLEOS Mezcal 50/50 with a pink grapefruit wedge. I’m not a loyalist when it comes to Mezcal, but I do love Del Maguey Chichicapa and my friends over at El Silencio.

If You Were a Cocktail Ingredient, What Would You Be?

Angostura bitters because it’s essential.

Cocktail with Anyone, Past or Present

Socrates in the Ancient Agora in Athens. It would be my KLEOS Mezcal 50/50, and I would want to hear him pontificate on philosophy.