Red Devil and Royal Antwerp player Toby Alderweireld doesn’t need any introduction but did you also know he is a real Antwerper and more than fond of his city: its history, its monuments, its magic. Buildings like the cathedral and the Central Station even make him, as an Antwerp native, stand in amazement. Reason enough for Toby Alderweireld to cast that grandeur and spirit in three monumental bottles that are amazing to give and to get. MM Antverpia is synonymous with that kind of bottle that every Antwerper should have in his liquor cabinet or gift cupboard.
Text Anja Van Der Borght – Foto’s WOWwatchers & Pieter Dhoop
For two years, Toby Alderweireld worked with two distillers to develop MM Antverpia filled with refined amaretto, gin or pastis. Every detail of the MM Antverpia bottles hides a nice story. The double M stands for ‘Marvelous Moments’ or ‘Monumental Moments’, and forms the Roman numerals 2000, the postal code of, yes, Antwerp. That city or ‘’t Stad’ as they call it in the local dialect, the makers carry in their hearts. The idea was to cast the splendour, grandeur and uniqueness of Antwerp in an artistic and refined way as a lasting memory in a bottle.
Green spirit
“Every time you see our bottles, you will experience the beauty of ‘t Stad in its details and when you drink from our self-distilled amaretto, pastis or gin, you will taste the elegance and unique grandeur of Antwerp”, says Alderweireld. With MM Antverpia and its own distillery and bottling plant, Toby Alderweireld is taking his first steps as a sustainable entrepreneur. “The idea came about when two Antwerp distillers let me taste some of their finished products”, says Alderweireld. “The complexity and finesse convinced me to join forces with them and thus MM Antverpia was born. We consciously decided to work with suppliers from the region, logistics partners with the same mindset, production via renewable energy and packaging from recycled cardboard.”
The three grain alcohol-based distillates are made in Antwerp using the best available ingredients.
For ‘Amaretto 1905’ (the figure refers to the year the current Central Station building was opened) almonds of the best quality are crushed and macerated, which are then used to make a very soft and subtle liqueur that stands out strongly with a hint of subtle almost subcutaneous sweetness. Nuts and alcohol are gracefully fused, making this amaretto both pure with a cube of ice as an aperitif, digestif or intertwined in a cocktail for a finely blended effect. € 55,50
‘Gin 1501‘ – the number refers to the starting year of Antwerp’s Golden Age – belongs to the refined full-body gintype, distinguished by hints of juniper and grapefruit. Thanks to its tender, velvety texture, this gin can be enjoyed pure or with a soft premium tonic. € 55
With its distinctive colour and very smooth taste, ‘Pastis 1794′ – in which year Antwerp was taken by the French Revolutionaries – gives the anise drink a new dimension. Through slow infusion of fennel seeds, among others, Pastis 1794 creates a distinctive experience, peculiar to this Antwerp liqueur. Like Amaretto 1905 and Gin 1501, Pastis 1794 can be drunk on its own as an aperitif or diluted with water and ice, precisely because of its mild-tasting and complex character. € 54
MM Antverpia is available online, on sale in specialist outlets and present in various on-trade outlets.
www.mmantverpia.com
