The Secret to Our Toffee Vodka: Why Handmade Matters
Quick Summary
- Handmade toffee, made in-house from real sugar and butter
- 30% ABV for a smooth, balanced finish
- Made by us in Sheffield, in small batches
- Natural ingredients only, with no artificial additives
Right then, let’s talk about a "Sticky Situation" — our Toffee Vodka.
If you’ve spent any time around Hawkins Distillery, you know we don't do things the easy way. If there’s a shortcut, we usually ignore it. If there’s a "flavour compound" in a plastic jug that tastes "sort of like toffee," we chuck it in the bin.
We make our toffee from scratch. In-house. By hand. In Sheffield.
How We Make the Toffee
Most "toffee" spirits on supermarket shelves are built with flavouring and colour, then called done.
Our Toffee Vodka starts with real sugar, real butter, and a very hot pan. We stand over it, stirring and watching for the moment the sugar turns into proper amber toffee. It’s a precise, sweaty, and occasionally dangerous job, but it gives us the buttery caramel profile we want.
No artificial additives. Just real ingredients.
Why 30% ABV Works
You’ll notice our Sticky Situation Toffee Vodka sits at 30% ABV. That’s deliberate.
When you’re working with handmade toffee, balance matters. Too much alcohol and you lose the buttery caramel notes. Too little and it drinks like syrup.
At 30%, it stays smooth while still tasting like a proper spirit. We also carbon-polish our base vodka by resting it with activated carbon for a week, which helps strip out harsh edges and gives the toffee a clean base to sit on.
What It Tastes Like
So, what does it actually taste like?
It’s not cloyingly sweet. Because we use real sugar and butter, you get a more rounded sweetness. It starts with rich caramel, followed by a creamy, buttery mouthfeel. There’s a touch of toasted sugar on the finish.
Think handmade toffee, but in vodka form.
How to Serve It
While we’re perfectly happy for you to drink it straight out of the bottle, there are better ways to enjoy it.
- Neat over ice: Serve it over a single large ice cube to open up the buttery notes.
- Boozy affogato: Pour a generous double shot over vanilla ice cream.
- Toffee Apple Fizz: Mix 50ml of Toffee Vodka with sparkling apple juice and a squeeze of lime.
- Hard coffee: Stir a shot into your evening espresso.
Made by Real People in Sheffield
When you buy a bottle of Hawkins Distillery vodka, you’re backing a small team in Sheffield who care a lot about getting it right.
We started in 2019 with a simple goal: make the best possible spirits using only natural flavours. Whether it’s our Bryn's Gin or our Strawberry and Black Pepper Gin, every bottle takes testing, tasting, and a fair bit of tweaking.
That’s the bit we’re proud of. Every bottle of our Toffee Vodka is made by hand, from scratch, by us.
Ready to Get Sticky?
If you’re tired of artificial flavours and factory-made spirits, it’s time to try the real deal. Our Toffee Vodka is small-batch, natural, and made by us.
Head over to our online shop and grab a bottle. Or, if you're local, come find us and see where the sticky mess happens.
Toffee Vodka FAQ
Is it vegan?
No. Our Toffee Vodka is made with real butter in the handmade toffee, so it isn’t vegan.
What’s the best way to serve it?
Start simple. Try it neat over ice, in an affogato, with sparkling apple juice, or stirred into espresso.
Is it very sweet?
No. It’s smooth and caramel-led, but not syrupy.
Where is it made?
Right here in Sheffield, by our team at Hawkins Distillery.