Where Heritage Meets High Spirits: Calabasa Redefines a West African Icon

On snow capped mountains during a ski trip, founders Tobi and Kwabena were inspired

to shake up culture with something tangible that could represent both West Africans and diasporans globally. Now, they’re gearing up to launch a product that is the first of its kind.

Created by Tobi Ojuri and Kwabena Asante, Calabasa is a UK-based premium drinks brand launching its debut palm spirit in February 2026. This first product is an embodiment of culture, craftsmanship and the future of premium African-made goods packaged in a distinctive and intentionally designed bottle. “Rooted in tradition and distilled for the world”, Calabasa is championing small-batch production and sustainable partnerships with tappers and artisans across West Africa, celebrating an unsung historic spirit and reimagining it for a contemporary audience.

In parallel to Rum’s association the Caribbean or Vodka’s with Eastern Europe, Palm Spirit is West Africa’s indigenous drink, named aptly because it is a product of palm trees. Known as Akpeteshie in Ghana, Ògógóró and Kaikai in Nigeria, and Sodabi in Togo and Benin, palm spirit is a clear beverage produced through a 3-step process. Palmsap, which is first collected by tapping a palm tree, is later fermented to produce palm wine, and finally it’s distilled to yield the concentrated alcohol. Calabasa carries this heritage forward with a proprietary triple-distillation technique that refines the liquid, producing a clean, modern expression of palm spirit.

Calabasa’s first palm spirit is made for cultural explorers and savourers of sweet mellow spirits, being triple distilled for the smoothest drinking experience. “We wanted to create a drink that feels like home for Africans everywhere, whether they’re in Lagos, London or Los Angeles. At the same time, African culture has become a huge global influence

and we want to keep the door open for everyone who’s genuinely curious about experiencing an authentic piece of our heritage”, Kwabena shared. The product will be available in select venues across London, and online where the Calabasa community has the chance to get a bottle featuring a one-of-one neck adornment handmade by skilled artisans in Accra, Ghana.

On the nose, the drink is floral with notes of freshly tapped palm sap, while its taste profile is a balance between fruity and warm tones, presenting notes of vanilla, green banana and dark spices.

As a result of campaigns by colonialists against it, in the past palm spirit was mischaracterised as a harmful knock-off of gin until West African countries re-gained independence from colonial powers in the late 50s and early 60s. Calabasa is shifting that narrative and the culture it exists within. Tobi said, “this is about making room for African spirits to stand alongside other iconic regional spirits and giving our audience those distinct, authentic experiences they’re craving. We’re spearheading an evolution and bringing a fresh voice to the table, and that’s going to make the spirits world a lot more exciting.”

This is an important time for the pair not just as the visionaries behind the brand, but as Black Brits who see how the significance of being represented in uncharted spaces continues to shape our culture.

For Tobi who is a finance professional by day, building Calabasa is his way of honouring his heritage. He grew up surrounded by pan-African artefacts and artistry having a father who traveled across Nigeria and Ghana sourcing handcrafted works and bringing them to the UK. That early exposure to African creativity is a core part of his identity and this project is a continuation of that. He shared, “launching Calabasa now is crucial because we’ve seen an amazing global rise of African music and art, and it feels like the perfect time to showcase our creativity in the spirits world as well. There’s a gap for authentic African voices and flavours in this space, and we’re stepping in to fill it. We’re

bringing the same cultural richness to the drinks industry that we’ve already seen in other creative fields.”

Similarly, coming from a family with over fifteen years of experience in logistics between the UK and Ghana, Kwabena grew up seeing how goods, culture and identity could traverse borders. He is inspired by early memories on his grandparent’s cocoa farm, their palm-oil business and his grandmother who harvested, distilled and shared palm spirit in Akuapem, not simply as a drink, but as a vessel for community, bringing people together. With Calabasa, he is paying homage to roots and modernising tradition for a contemporary diasporan audience. Kwabena added, “This is such a unique product that we haven’t really seen in the market before and we’re excited to see how people respond to it. We really hope Calabasa can have a meaningful cultural impact becausetraditional drinks like palm spirit and palm wine have been used in West African ceremonies and celebrations for generations.”

Against the backdrop of what has already become a vibrant experimental cultural landscape created by the impact of African music and art, Calabasa’s launch is an occasion worth looking forward to. Groundbreaking and culturally significant, it’s set to become the first globally recognised premium spirit of West-African origin.