Douglas Blyde heralds a fine spirit from the land of milk and... vodka

Before we meet for Martinis, Kate Harrison tells me about tackling a flaming pillow accidentally set alight by her bedside candle.

The solution, she reports while fervently sipping a deliciously cool, straight-up serve, was to cast the cushion to the icy pavement several storeys below, but not before fire spread to a lampshade. Perplexed neighbours made understated comments about there having been ‘an overenthusiastic pillow fight’.

Harrison, ambassador for Black Cow vodka (£27.95; masterofmalt.com), meets me at Mark Hix’s Oyster & Chop House in Smithfield, where we pair best of British plates with the buttery, thickly textured West Dorset vodka. Black Cow, replete with bovine logo, is crafted from the whey found in the milk of grass-grazed cows, fermented in a similar way to beer then distilled into vodka at Childhay Manor Farm. The curds, meanwhile, are preserved in Cheddar, which makes for a toothsome complementary bite.

Harrison describes Jason Barber, farmer of the artisan products, as laid-back, kind, young at heart ‘despite being in his 50s’ and not a bumpkin. ‘He loves a party and wanted to create something he could drink all night then still get up early.’

The idea for the eccentric drink came to Barber while watching a documentary describing how the nomadic Siberian Tuva tribe create prized alcohol from mare’s milk. Barber’s take on the gluten-free vodka, which is in fact suitable for the lactose intolerant (milk sugars being converted to alcohol), came to market in 2012, attracting brand champions including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Kirstie Allsopp.

The food-friendly spirit goes perfectly with Hix’s giant, fleshy hake head — then in a clean espresso Martini shaken with maple syrup and complemented by a comprehensive cheese board with Dorset knob crackers.