“It’s actually called Tenth Muse,” I’m told, as I incorrectly read the label out loud. Centred on the clear glass bottle, the text “X MUSE” is vertically placed, circumvented with glass ridges, giving the bottle an almost undulating appearance. The “X” I realised is, of course, the Greek numeral for the number 10; the meaning of Muse I was to learn more about later, as my journey into the art world of this burgeoning vodka brand was only just beginning.

The First Blended Barley Vodka

The first blended barley vodka, X MUSE is a truly Scottish brand, combining the lauded, tried and tested techniques of Scottish spirit making with the worlds of art and homeopathic science. And this Scottish heritage and mastery lends itself perfectly to X MUSE’s cosmopolitan reach – at home in the world’s finest bars from Edinburgh, expanding to Paris, Vienna and beyond.

This combination is reflective of experienced co-founders Jupiter Artland Co-Founder Robert Wilson and Vadim Grigoryan. Last week, I visited where the founders met and the X MUSE story began, the award-winning contemporary sculpture garden, Jupiter Artland.

Jupiter Artland – Playground For All

Robust and at great scale, Jupiter Artland is a playground for the young and old alike, exercising both the body and the mind in an expansive landscape of thoughtfully commissioned art and sculptures. Diminutive artworks punctuate large-scale projects by notable artists such as Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, Cornelia Parker and Anish Kapoor.

Working alongside Jupiter Artland co-founder and wife Nicky, Robert Wilson’s approach to curation is a flexible but a manicured one; one completely open to the ambitions of the commissioned artists, and yet very precise in the execution, ensuring that the artists’ requirements are met to perfection. One such example being the Gateway artwork Robert commissioned from Joana Vasconcelos, a pool comprising of colourful, hand-painted, Portuguese tiles. One of the stipulations for Jupiter Artland to host the art installation was that the temperature of the water was kept at 28°C all year round; something that Robert was more than happy to adhere to.

The artworks at Jupiter Artland have a recurring undertone related energy and flow, the culmination of this being the “Light Pours Out of Me” amethyst grotto by British artist Anya Gallaccio (2012). This fascination with amethyst reveals itself in the execution of the X MUSE vodka itself, the purple crystal often being displayed concurrently with the bottle, reminding drinkers of its role in the liquid’s creation—more to follow.

Despite the weight of history and art royalty that populates the park, there is a youthful energy about the place, fuelled by Robert’s commitment to give back to the community, offering free visits for schools and a whole host of outreach projects, sharing art installations with less affluent regions of Scotland. This vibrancy is conducive to the naissance of X MUSE, its inspiration realised in physical form at the midst of the meandering grounds.

There stands a solitary bust, unassuming, resting on top of a monolithic column of Portland stone. This bust is none other than the “X Muse” by Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay (2008), head of Sappho, the lyrical Greek poet from the island of Lesbos. Namesake of their blended barley vodka, the Tenth Muse represents something human made yet so divine it’s considered worthy of the ancient Greek gods—an apt name choice indeed. Robert adds:

“The Tenth muse is Sappho, but also Pallas Athena, goddess of Arts & Science. It’s a multi-faceted iconic sculpture that is the brand champion of X MUSE vodka.”

X MUSE – A Sipping Vodka Like No Other

To taste, X MUSE is what I would describe as a sipping vodka, the balance of the two types of barley—Plumage Archer and Maris Otter—giving rise to a delightfully antithetic experience: one very bright yet smooth at the onset but with a lingering warm hue, giving way to a sweet, rich mouthfeel more akin to an aged spirit than one so young and fresh.

This vibrancy could be attributed to a variety of factors, one being the separate distillation process used for the different types of barley, the other being purity of the added water. Taken directly from an ancient aquifer located within the Jupiter Artland estate, part of the already fresh Scottish water used in the final product is energised using a vortex system to oxygenate it further, removing debris and volatile compounds in the process. The same water is then rested on amethyst—referencing Gallacio’s installation—to imbue it with the natural healing energy contained within, before being merged with more fresh water and the intricately blended barley.

Not limited to the Jupiter Artland grounds but a celebration of art in its entirety, this year X MUSE is working in partnership with the Edinburgh Art festival on their 20th Anniversary. A partnership on many levels, the collaboration has been captured in two signature EAF24 art cocktails created for the festival, available to enjoy at the famed Balmoral (only Arma is at Balmoral, but both are served at various events throughout the festival) in Edinburgh until the 25th August:

• The ‘Arma’ Martini; created to reflect the festival’s invitation to collectively pause and reflect upon the conditions under which we live, work, gather and resist.
• The ‘Save’ cocktail; created in honour of Mele Broomes, an award-winning performance artist, choreographer, and co-founder of Project X in Scotland.

Symbols Of Time

Channelling his artistic background and expertise from his role as Director of Creativity & Luxury for Pernod Ricard, X MUSE co-founder Vadim Grigoryan, has curated a viewing experience called the “Symbols of Time”. This journey highlights ten exhibitions from the Edinburgh Art Fair that resonate with the layered, storied value system of the X MUSE brand. Entitled “The Caged Bird’s Song” by Chris Ofili, this featured exhibition piece took two-and-a-half years to complete and was carried out by Dovecot Tapestry Studio, the longest running Tapestry studio in the UK. This particular work has a deeper connection to the brand as Vadim explains:

“In the centre of his piece there is a very significant element which I find emblematic of X MUSE, what we call ‘ambromoments’ ,the moments of immortality; taken from the Greek word ambrotos. We believe that X MUSE is conducive to creating these moments where time stands still.”

And time certainly does stand still when sampling an X MUSE Martini, stunningly gilded with a hint of olive oil completing the most refreshing martini experience I’ve had to date. A brave choice by Vadim and Robert, as vodka is an unforgiving template, much like a blank art canvas, with no means to hide its indiscretions. Or as X MUSE co-founder Vadim Grigoryan succinctly puts it:

“Vodka is like abstract art – if it’s bad, it’s really bad.”

Thankfully for X MUSE that’s something they won’t have to worry about; their created liquid and chosen artistry working together in harmonic unison. I can almost envision them stood together on stage; hands joined aloft taking in the acclaim of the fervent crowd. It’s truly a performance the Arts Festival would be proud of.

X MUSE Helicon Workshop hosts tasting tours at the X MUSE Temple which are available to book by emailing [email protected] until Jupiter Artland closes for the winter on the 29th of September 2024. X MUSE (RRP £55) is available to purchase from the X MUSE website and at Harvey Nichols.

xmusevodka.com

—

In partnership with X MUSE – words and opinions are Ape’s own.