Review: Oldknow Seltzers – Absinthe, Gin, and Vodka

One wouldn’t expect to find a ready-to-drink seltzer made with absinth in the mountains of Georgia, but that’s just what Oldknow Bev Co. has been doing, using its own interpretation of the green fairy — plus versions with gin and vodka — to make a canned, fizzy, ready-to-drink cocktail. Are the masses ready to sip absinthe seltzer’s poolside? We give the full Oldknow lineup a try. Thoughts follow.

Each is 5% abv. Available only in Georgia at present.

Oldknow Verte Absinthe Seltzer – Perhaps the only absinthe-based canned cocktail on the market, this is a refreshing yet unusual experience, offering a clear note of licorice candy, gentle sweetness, and plenty of fizz to give it a refreshing, cleansing quality. I think it improves as ice melts into the glass, giving it notes of vanilla and chocolate while keeping it nice and cold. Unexpected and enjoyable. B+ 

Oldknow Gin Seltzer – Gin, cucumber, and mint. For once, the mint is extreme in the mix, coming across here like an chocolaty Andes. The cucumber notes — crisp, not vegetal — takes second stage in the experience, leaving the gin to bring up the rear. While that classically piney-juniper character never totally materializes in a meaningful way, it’s nonetheless a refreshing beverage where mint takes center stage. B+

Oldknow Vodka Seltzer – Not your father’s vodka-soda, this one’s made with oolong tea, grapefruit, and lychee. The combination is flavorful and again a bit of a surprise, the lychee doing the heavy lifting while grapefruit notes linger in the background. Not much tea comes through, but that’s perhaps for the best. No point overcomplicating a lively, fruity libation that — again — is quite refreshing. A-

each $NA per 355ml can / oldknowbevco.com

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