ISC live: Vedrenne plans organic Creme de Cassis

Gerard Chaussee, director of French liqueurs specialist Vedrenne, has said that he hopes to present a new organic creme de cassis at next year's International Spirits Challenge.

"I have found a producer of organic Noir de Bourgogne [blackcurrants]," he said. "It's very unusual. The farmer is in his third year of organic production, so will get his certification in time for the ISC in 2012. He uses incense oils for some of his field treatments."

The new product, from the multiple award-winning cassis producer, is likely to be expensive but, says Chaussee, consumers who are looking for such products are happy to pay the price.

"You have to pay more for a good organic alcohol base - at least double. The demand is so much higher than supply."

ISC Liqueurs & Specialities chairman of judges Patrick van Zuidam, of Zuidam distillery, said that organic liqueurs are a hard art to master: "I'm not sure why exactly, but it's very hard to get a very neutral organic alcohol base, without flavours that interfere with the final product."