A kiwi cocktail...

It was over 90 years before a select few apples were allowed across the Aussie / NZ ditch, yet luckily for cocktail enthusiasts a more popular kiwi export has migrated in a fraction of the time.

With an ethos combining fun and freshness, VnC cocktails have conquered a gap in the Aussie market by creating a pre-mixed, premium range of cocktails. A delivery of the naturally spirited range arrived on my doorstep just in time for a weekend getaway up the coast.

Our unanimous fave was the Passionfruit Caprioska, based on a fruit which is described as “the mousy librarian who removes her glasses and everyone realises is a real fox”. A close second was the mango daiquiri, a blend of banana and mango with New Zealand vodka.

Despite a high number of sweet ready-to-drink beverages on the bottle-o shelves, the concept of a natural fruit juice cocktail seems to have been previously overlooked. Founded by kiwi Shane McKillen in 2007, his commitment to no artificial colouring, preservatives or colours will appeal to those health conscious Sydney-siders who are still partial to a tasty cocktail.

Despite being the first company in the world to gain Certified Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme (CEMARS) product certification, VnC cheekily claims that the “only problem NZ has is that there’s only three tv channels”.

Following in the footsteps of Flight of the Conchords, pavlovas and beached whales (forget the pesky apples), this is a kiwi export that is likely to punch above its weight (and probably soon be claimed as our own).

A pack of VnC Cocktails was sent to lifeafterfive* by Liquid Ideas.