In 2020, business partners Xavier Armand and Ben Howell visited a New York City bar called Jungle Bird. Their eponymous specialty cocktail was the boost of inspiration the two needed for their brand new drink Kingbird. Armand describes the Jungle Bird as a ’70s, tiki-style cocktail with a bitter and tropical palette. “We were thinking to ourselves, ‘why doesn’t a version of this exist as a standalone drink? Why can’t you purchase something like this premade?’” Armand says. So they set about creating something similar.
On August 1, Kingbird, a one-of-a-kind vermouth aperitif, officially opened for business after years of experimentation and taste testing. Although it looks like rosé, Kingbird has a light, white wine taste with bold notes of fruit like pineapple, lemon zest, and allspice.
Howell has a background in hospitality while Armand owns a digital agency, Vaan Group, focusing on brand conversion design. “We kind of married our idea with my background in brand work and we came to the idea that we should make an aperitif that we can sell directly to consumers through the internet,” Armand says.
The name, referring to the Eastern Kingbird, native to New York, is also an homage to the original inspiration, the Jungle Bird.
Kingbird is packaged and distilled in Accord but its roots start further upstate in the Finger Lakes, known for its acres of vineyards and wineries. Fortified white wine forms the base, which is then infused with a specialty concoction of fruit and aromatics. “We create an infusion of fruits, spices, and herbs that really make the real flavor profile. That infusion is made with a neutral spirit, and then we blend the two together after the infusion is set for a period of time,” Armand says. After these two marry, the final product is mixed with sugar to give it a subtly sweet aftertaste.
The bottles are then packaged with a whimsical illustration of the Kingbird by Vaan Group’s inhouse designers Sam Day and Sam Clark.
The final product is best served chilled on the rocks or treated like an Aperol spritz and served with a splash of champagne or seltzer. It can be used in classic cocktails like a Manhattan with an orange slice to bring out the fruity flavors and can even be used as a vermouth substitute in a Negroni.
“It’s kind of this versatile product that really sits in between a couple of standard, understood products that are out there,” Armand says. “If you really want to sort of nerd out about where it lands in the spectrum of things, we are essentially a cinchona, part of the Cocchi Americano family,” Armand says.
In-state sourcing was important to the brand and marketing. “We want to be as ubiquitous as possible in New York City up through to the Hudson Valley,” Armand says. “We want to make the first American aperitif. That’s really the vision for this. Once we hopefully get notoriety in New York, we go from there.”
In the Hudson Valley, Kingbird is sold at Bluebird Wine and Spirits in Accord, Kingston Wine Co and Rose Hill Farms in Red Hook. In New York City, Kingbird can be found in Gramercy Tavern, Vine Wine, and Nightmoves.
Although he hopes to grow sales, Armand says the product itself will not be expanded. “Kingbird is Kingbird, and it is a single flavor,” he insists. “We don’t intend on becoming a pair of aperitifs or anything like that.”
Kingbird’s 750ml bottles are currently priced from $34 to $38 and are available to order on the website.
This article appears in December 2024.
