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By Ed Avis
Jenna Murray
Empirical's founder Lars Williams at their Tasting Room in Brooklyn.
Cilantro is a familiar flavor to fans of Mexican cuisine – it enhances tacos, salsa and countless other dishes. But it is not often found in cocktails. A company founded in Denmark, of all places, hopes to change that.
“We know cilantro has the power to excite people,” says Lars Williams, president of Empirical, an artisanal spirits company he co-founded in 2017. “Cilantro is in so many homes already, in so many different parts of the world — how often do you see it chopped on a cutting board, ready to brighten a meal? We wanted to bottle that same brightness in a way that’s both premium and approachable. A spirit with a flavor profile that would sit between novelty and familiarity.”
Before starting Empirical, Williams was head of R&D and the Fermentation Lab at Noma, a 3-star Michelin restaurant in Copenhagen that was named the World’s Best Restaurant five times. He used the knowledge gained at Noma to launch Empirical with the aim of creating artisanal, flavor-forward botanical spirits.
Experimentation has been key to Empirical’s success. For example, the company uses a technique called vacuum distillation that lowers the boiling point of the liquid to as low as 48 degrees F. That low-temperature distillation allows them to capture and retain more of the volatile botanical compounds of the ingredients than normal distillation methods.
Cilantro Margarita
That approach worked well when they were developing a spirit based on cilantro.
“We wanted to get a bouquet of cilantro that you pick off of a shelf or right out of the ground,” Williams says. “While the spirit has a lightness and herbaceous feel, the actual taste of cilantro stems is stronger than that of leaves in a way. So, we combined the flavors to deliver an overall excellent cilantro composition, even as people may only recognize the leaves.”
In the initial blends they made, the cilantro flavor was a little subdued. Williams and his team figured out that adding a touch of tomatillo brings out the cilantro flavor. They also added a bit of lime for zip and vinegar to tie the flavors together and provide depth.
The resulting botanical spirit, which is based on a distillation of light French Wheat, is not a vodka, gin, whiskey or rum. It is in a category of its own. The product launched in October 2024.
Bartenders have found it a perfect spirit for flavorful margaritas. At 80 proof, it has essentially the same alcohol content as tequila. It adds a bold, herbaceous flavor that increases the complexity of the cocktail and keeps customers coming back for more.
“We feel that Cilantro brings a truly unique freshness to a margarita; bright, herbal, verdant, and most importantly, a distinct deliciousness,” says Williams, who moved his company to Brooklyn in 2023.
The recipe for a Margarita with Cilantro is precisely the same as one made with tequila or mezcal, except for the spirit. For a tropical twist and to add even more depth, Williams recommends adding a shot of Chinola Mango Liqueur.
What if you have a customer who loves the taste of tequila but wants to try something more complex? Use half Cilantro and half tequila.
Want to try the spirit in your bar or restaurant? Request a free sample here: https://empirical.co/b2b
To order Cilantro or other Empirical spirits, please see the Empirical state-by-state distributor list at https://empirical.co/wholesale