Empirical Helena

At the heart of Empirical's epic lineup of boozy delights is one quirky yet delicious kōji Spirit.

Lars Williams & Mark Emil Hermansen are an interesting pair. These guys from Copenhagen, Denmark, are all about capturing precious memories and experiences. As we all know, smell & taste are powerful in that regard. Founded in 2017, Empirical aims to take advantage of that with their unique (and sometimes wacky!) Spirits that are meant to conjure the best of times. They go about it with custom-built machinery as well as unusual fermentation and distillation techniques. And plenty of that good old blood & sweat.

Kōji is a neat little type of fungus that's a staple of Japanese food. Sake, miso, mirin, and a bunch of other stuff is based on the precious white fuzzy stuff. The guys at Empirical have recognized the range of aromas and flavors that kōji brings to the table. It's a key component of Helena, their base Spirit that most of their creations employ. Barley kōji, Pilsner malt, and Belgian Saison Yeast go into this double fermented clear Spirit that's bottled at 80 proof. It's the perfect way to start wrapping your head around all the awesome stuff Empirical does.