Pataka Fairtrade Ginger Liqueur

Pataka Ginger Liqueur: This year I have decided (like many people) that Christmas starts here. I think we’ve all earned a bit of sparkle and fun. And in my decidedly atheist household then this unashamedly means our first Christmas with Bam Bam – decorations, Santa, nice food, Christmas films. A secular classic Christmas, if you will. Baby’s first Christmas. I’m so excited and I will not let Covid ruin it for us, when so much has been taken away from Bam Bam in her first months.

Now. The last two Christmastimes, I have been pregnant. I think it’s fair to say I have felt a *little* deprived in the festive booze stakes, with my solitary very small glass of wine nursed over lunch and beyond on Christmas Day. Mulled wine in particular was one of those treats that I hankered for in the run up. I recall going to watch Elf in Green Dragon Square’s Outdoor Cinema (which we will absolutely do again I’m sure) and having a hot chocolate. Pfft. I mean it was a Gelato Village hot chocolate so you can’t really get a better one, but it doesn’t quite hit the same spot that mulled booze reaches.

Mulled Ginger

So when I was sent a bottle of Pakata Fairtrade Ginger Liqueur with a selection of recipe ideas, the Mulled Ginger immediately jumped out at me. “For when mulled wine needs an extra kick” the notes read. Well sure, why not? I used a cheeky Primitivo for my Mulled Ginger so I had some big juicy fruit to go with the ginger kick, as well as a pinch of powdered cinnamon added when I warmed the wine (as I didn’t have sticks). A flash of orange and a twist of oil from the zest and away we go. Absolutely delicious winter warmer that I will be enjoying throughout the festive season!

Pakata Fairtrade Ginger Liqueur

I was surprised by how much I liked this liqueur. It is packaged beautifully, with a really neat bottle and label. Apparently Pakata means ‘fire cracker’ in Punjabi. This actually gives you a bit of a misleading impression as to what this product tastes like. The ever so slightly translucent liquid has a warming ginger aroma, and as you would expect from a liqueur, the first thing you taste and experience is the mouth coating syrupy sweetness. This gradually gives way to a subtle ginger flavour – not a powerful, punchy one as you might expect from a cheaper, more synthetic brand.

It’s akin to drinking the syrup that accompanies crystalline ginger. In my opinion makes this much more subtle and a much more pleasing experience. Its inherent softness also makes it much more pleasant to drink on its own. You could have it over ice or without as you prefer, as well as mixing it. Once the first hit of ginger root reveals itself, the alcohol kick and the ginger’s natural fire intertwine and dance on your tongue together. Again, this is subtle, but beautifully delicious. A real flavour journey.

The simple subtlety of this liqueur demonstrates the quality of the spirit within, which is a grain alcohol. The ginger and sugar used are both Fairtrade according to the notes I was given. Weirdly the Fairtrade logo isn’t used anywhere which seems like a missed opportunity. Imagine me shrugging. In all I would be very happy to receive a bottle of this for Christmas. But you will have missed out on adding it to your mulled wine throughout December!!

Pick up a bottle at online retailers like Master of Malt or the Whisky Exchange.

This bottle of Pataka was gifted to me for the purposes of review. The post is my honest opinion of the product I was given.