In the Italian lexicon, “Urka” is an exclamation of surprise—“Wow, I didn’t expect that.” It’s the kind of word you might utter when something upends your expectations in the most delightful way. And that’s exactly what Urka Spirits aims to do with every bottle.

At the heart of this modern spirits brand lies a fruit as ancient as it is underappreciated: the melannurca apple. Indigenous to Campania in Southern Italy, the melannurca has been cultivated for over 2,000 years. Its curious balance—crisp, juicy, sweet, yet undeniably tangy—makes it a fascinating anchor for Urka’s vermouths and gin. Much like the brand itself, the melannurca isn’t flashy or loud. But once discovered, it lingers in memory—a flavor that refuses to be forgotten.

Urka Spirits was born from more than just the pursuit of good taste. It began with friendship, travel, and the kind of storytelling that only happens when glasses are raised across cultures and continents. The brand channels that spirit of camaraderie and discovery into its recipes, blending Italy’s agricultural richness with botanicals and spices sourced from around the world. The result is a trio of products that feel both deeply rooted and curiously cosmopolitan.

Vermouth Bianco: A Dance of Opposites

Urka’s Vermouth Bianco is, at first glance, comforting and familiar. But take a sip, and it gently challenges you to look again. Here, the melannurca apple doesn't overpower; it complements. It meets chamomile’s soft floral warmth and the aromatic lift of citrus with a crisp and tangy twist. Layers unfold—fresh sage and fennel lead you through herbaceous notes, building to a finish that lingers with a brightness that’s never cloying.

This vermouth doesn’t shout for attention. It sidles up beside you, subtle and self-assured, revealing itself slowly, like a good story told over a long afternoon. Whether sipped alone over ice or mixed into a light aperitivo, it embodies that quintessential Italian knack for turning simple ingredients into something quietly extraordinary.

URKA Vermouth Bianco

Vermouth Rosso: A Global Journey in a Glass

If the Bianco feels like a comforting embrace, Urka Vermouth Rosso is the sophisticated traveler—elegant, worldly, and full of intrigue. Here, the melannurca finds a spicy counterpart in Timut pepper, a Nepalese variety known for its citrusy heat and floral undertones. From there, the flavor journey takes you through Madagascar, Cambodia, and beyond, guided by a blend of warm spices that unfold in waves.

The Rosso is bold but not brash. There’s an earthy elegance to it, a balancing act of sweet, tangy, and spice that suggests both the careful hand of a blender and the wild spirit of the ingredients themselves. It’s a vermouth that wears its international influences with grace—less a melting pot, more a mosaic.

URKA Vermouth Rosso

Gin: Where Folklore Meets Modern Mixology

And then there’s Urka’s Gin, perhaps the clearest expression of the brand’s ethos: to take the familiar and give it a twist you didn’t see coming. Distilled with the melannurca at its core, this gin opens on a delicate orchard breeze—notes of pear and orange before sliding into a savory blend of juniper, coriander, and olive leaves. The apple’s tangy sweetness then makes its entrance, rounding out the botanical bitterness with an unexpected fruit-forward brightness.

The gin’s flavor arc mirrors the mythical landscape of Campania itself—a region steeped in folklore, where witches once wandered and legends still whisper through ancient groves. There’s a touch of magic here, or at least a willingness to let history and imagination play a role in what ends up in your glass.

URKA Gin

A Spirit of Discovery

What sets Urka Spirits apart isn’t just the rare apple at the core of its recipes. It’s the approach: one that favors contrast over convention, storytelling over showmanship. The use of melannurca is more than a regional nod; it’s a symbol of surprise, of revealing depth where you least expect it. Just as “Urka!” captures a moment of joyful astonishment, each expression in the range seeks to deliver something slightly off-kilter, a little daring—but always delicious.

There’s also a groundedness to the brand. While its flavor profiles travel far and wide, Urka is rooted in a specific place and a specific philosophy. The decision to build every blend around the melannurca—grown in the very soil where the brand’s journey began—is a quiet act of devotion. It’s a way of saying: no matter how far we go, we know where we come from.

In a spirits world crowded with excess and artifice, Urka offers something refreshingly real. Thoughtfully crafted, globally inspired, and grounded in friendship, it’s a brand that invites you to sip, savor, and—just maybe—say “Urka!” yourself.

Header Image sourced from URKA Spirits (Facebook).