Brontë Liqueur is revived

Sir James Aykroyd, who lives in North Yorkshire, UK, has revived Brontë Liqueur, a drink he first discovered 40 years ago in Paraguay, South America.

With strong family connections to the Brontë Parsonage Museum in West Yorkshire, Sir James was determined to purchase the trademark and market the drink himself.

Now, four decades on, he has managed it – transforming both its look and taste.

Sir James, who has worked with Buchanan’s whisky and Martini and Rossi, and more recently stepped down as a shareholder and chairman of Speyside Distillers, says, “Back in 1928, my great grandfather Sir James Roberts bought the Haworth village parsonage and gifted it to the Brontë Society. Today, that building is the Brontë Parsonage Museum and this is something our family is immensely proud of – I still hold the key to the parsonage’s front door.”

While the original Brontë Liqueur was honey-based and presented in a ceramic jug, the new-tasting drink features blackberry and sloe and a hint of jasmine.

Sir James and Brontë Liqueur Co plan to market the drink as a mixer for cocktails and have devised a series of recipes, including the Brontë Royale, made from the liqueur topped up with champagne, and the Brontë Mule, a mix of Brontë Liqueur, fresh lime and ginger beer served over ice.