For those who truly appreciate the world of mixology, there’s a thin line which separates the artistry of a perfectly crafted cocktail and a masterpiece that has been painted on canvas or sculpted from marble.
With a sleight of hand, vibrant colours and textures can blend seamlessly together to create a (albeit temporary) symphony in your glass.
Someone with a great deal more talent behind the bar than I have has managed to do just that this evening, producing a luminous green drink inspired by the waters of Lake Garda, using absinth, murky droplets of olive lemon oil and star of the show, X MUSE.
Pronounced ‘tenth muse’, this luxury vodka uses a barley blend inspired by the otherworldly surroundings of its ‘spiritual’ home of the Jupiter Artland sculpture park near Edinburgh.
We’ve gathered there tonight for the grand reveal of a new limited edition bottle design by one of the park's many commissioned artists, as well as the promise of an insight into the one-year-old brand’s founding ethos.
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Earlier in the day, we had received a warm welcome at the mysterious tasting ‘Temple’ by co-founders Vadim Grigoryan and Robert Wilson, who oversees Jupiter Artland alongside his wife, Nicky.
The sleek glass dome has now become a sort of HQ for X MUSE, hosting regular workshops that explore the flavour profiles of two-component spirits, crafted with Plumage Archer and Maris Otter barley varieties, which are then fused to create a final blended product.
The process makes for a crystal clear liquid with incredible depth and a smooth finish.
As we’re poised to take our very first sip of the day, however, Vadim reveals that not everyone has shared his unwavering faith in the end result.
He said: “Vodka is always considered as an odourless, colourless spirit that should only be used for mixing, rather than being a delicious drink on its own.
“We spent more than three years perfecting the taste of X MUSE with a view to starting a little revolution.
“I have worked with cognac and wine before and know how much each variety of grape can impact the flavour.
“That’s when I had the idea to start looking into different varieties of barley.
“People thought I was crazy and said that any taste would be lost in the distilling process.
“I convinced them to run the tests and invited everyone who had doubted us along to try.
“Then, even our biggest critics became protagonists.”
Just as much a part of the brand’s origin story as their pioneering blending experiments is the astonishing selection of art which lies hidden across the vast, wooded grounds of Jupiter Artland.
Arguably the most influential for the team is that of Scottish poet, artist and gardener Ian Hamilton Finlay, whose sculpture work immortalises the ‘powerful and noble’ tenth muse of Greek mythology which gives their vodka its name.
The defined ridges that sweep across the bottle itself?
They echo back to the alien-looking land sculptures by Charles Jencks which had, upon arrival, left both myself and a taxi driver wondering exactly what kind of place we had stumbled across after an hour of driving on monotonous motorway.
These are of course easy references to identify at first glance, and yet we would soon discover the staggering level of detail which has been woven into the very DNA of X MUSE, giving weight to their cryptic credo of ‘‘more is hid than uttered’.
“X MUSE is more than just a vodka,” Vadim continued, “and stems from a love for both art and alchemy.
“It’s not an art project but recognises the parallels between art and business.
“Every single aspect of the brand has a story behind it right down to the water which is sourced from the ancient aquafer of Jupiter Artland.”
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In the hours between a tasting session led by Michael Milloy, head of experiences at X MUSE and former 20-year veteran of Diageo, and our evening cocktails, it becomes easier by the minute to understand how this place could be the source of endless inspiration, no matter what the desired end product.
A guided walk through the grounds with Robert uncovers an eclectic collection of work from the likes of Tracey Emin, Cornelia Parker and Marc Quinn, lying waiting in unexpected clearings which have been chosen by the artists themselves.
Sometime later, with the aforementioned Lake Garda creation in hand, we found ourselves standing beneath the ornate Rose Walk installation by Pablo Bronstein.
The Anglo-Argentinean artist is the first to have collaborated with the brand as part of their Reveal Series, producing just 99 hand-painted and foiled bottles which will go on sale in October.
As the sun sets, conversation begins to flow almost as freely as the barley blend spirit, as plans for an onsite distillery in the near future are discussed with just a whisper of an end goal of whisky production.
Returning to Glasgow fully acquainted with the home of X MUSE, and only slightly struggling to readjust to a reality without bespoke cocktails and fine art at every turn, I make a mental note to return to Jupiter Arland soon and keep a close eye on what comes next from a team that's determined to show there is beauty to be found in even the simplest of grains.
To find out more about X MUSE and their collaboration with Pablo Bronstein, visit their website here.
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