MURI x The Four Horsemen

MURI x The Four Horsemen is a still red blend produced by MURI, the Copenhagen fermentation label founded by Murray Paterson. It was conceived to sit closer to wine than MURI's typical blends — a more 'wine-adjacent' bottling designed as a versatile food pairing for non-drinking guests at The Four Horsemen wine bar. In line with MURI's broader method, the drink builds complexity through fermentation rather than through de-alcoholization, treating and fermenting each component separately before blending.^[1]

The bottle emerged from a collaboration with Justin Chearno, beverage director of The Four Horsemen restaurant in Brooklyn, New York — a James Beard Award-winning wine bar and restaurant owned by LCD Soundsystem, and a figure in the natural wine community. The collaboration was initiated in November 2023 when Paterson and Chearno met at the restaurant, and Paterson visited the restaurant with Chearno during development. MURI credits Chearno's refined palate with shaping the blend, which Paterson describes as rounded, versatile, and classy. It launched in 2024. The final bottles were delivered to the restaurant the day after Chearno passed away in August 2024.^[1],[2]

MURI x The Four Horsemen is described as a silky still red made from Stevnsbær sour cherry wine, ice-clarified tomato water, lacto-fermented beetroot, bay leaf, and green peppercorn water kefir. The declared ingredient list is: sour cherry juice, water, red currant juice, tomato water, beetroot, sugar, green peppercorn, bay leaf, salt, and yeast.^[1]

Stevnsbær Sour Cherry Wine — Fruit Core. Stevnsbær sour cherries are fermented with a wine yeast into a non-alcoholic sour cherry wine, forming the fruit core of the blend. Red currants are also part of the composition alongside the cherry base.^[3]

Ice-Clarified Tomato Water — Savoury Structure. The blend uses ice-clarified tomato water, the same tomato wine used in MURI's Anne-Sophie Pic collaboration (Uzume). In a January 2025 podcast the technique was also described as cryo-filtered tomato water. The tomato contributes savoury complexity.^[1],[2]

Lacto-Fermented Beetroot — Earthy Savouriness. Lacto-fermented beetroot is a key component, contributing an intricate savouriness described as 'salty beetroot' and earthy beet notes.^[1]

Green Peppercorn Water Kefir — Spice & Backbone. A water kefir made with bay leaf and green peppercorn adds a lightly spicy character to the blend. Bay leaf features as a component alongside the green peppercorn.^[1]

The blend is assembled from separately fermented and processed components. Danish sour cherries are fermented into a wine with a wine yeast; beetroot is lacto-fermented; tomato water is clarified into a tomato wine; and a water kefir is made with bay leaf and green peppercorn. Ice clarification is used as a defining technique, and the tomato water is described as ice-clarified (also cited as cryo-filtered).^[2],[4]

Appearance. A still, silky red.^[3]

Nose. Fresh-cut herb aromatics over tart dark fruit, with earthy beet notes and a touch of savoury spice. De Maison Selections describes complex, subtle notes of fresh cut herbs and forest fruits with a tart, juicy earthiness.^[3]

Palate. Ripe red fruit to the fore, with balanced acidity and a luxurious, silky texture. An intricate savouriness comes from the salty beetroot, closing on a lightly spicy finish. MURI describes it as rich and silky, and 'almost an addictive sip.' In a March 2025 podcast the drink was likened to a Cabernet Franc style — slightly peppery, with a silky texture and mouthfeel. De Maison Selections frames it as a complex, naturally dry red framed by fresh acidity and a gently tannic finish.^[1],[2]

Structure. ^[3]

• Sweetness: naturally dry
• Acidity: balanced, fresh
• Body: luxurious, silky texture
• Tannin: gentle tannic structure
• Complexity: complex, food-friendly

MURI recommends the blend with duck, root vegetables, or Toulouse sausage with mashed potatoes and prunes. It was conceived as a versatile, food-friendly pairing for guests at The Four Horsemen wine bar.^[1]

Specifications. MURI x The Four Horsemen is a still, silky red wine alternative. Per De Maison Selections it is pasteurized and carries an ABV of less than 0.5%, and is described as a limited-edition, glou-glou-inspired red wine alternative.^[5]

• Classification: still red wine alternative (non-alcoholic)
• ABV: less than 0.5%
• Pasteurized

Production. The blend is produced by MURI, whose team makes all blends in small batches entirely in-house at its Copenhagen blendery. MURI's products are naturally non-alcoholic by design — never produced with alcohol that is later removed — and all its bottles are pasteurized.