AT THE BAR
Adelaide in New Orleans. “It’s affordable,
approachable and very easy to work with
behind the bar.”
Corn’s status as a native American grain
attracts craft distillers. Brow stocks Tito’s
Handmade Vodka made from Midwestern
corn in Texas. Other corn vodkas, such
as Haute from Kansas, display a sweeter
profile. Haute’s flavor profile can be
described as spicy buttercream or with
praline notes.
Hallett stocks organic rye Square One
vodkas to honor those looking for organic
and kosher vodka—with flavor. Spoonbar’s
Cucumber Collins with Square One
Cucumber vodka, lemon juice and yuzu
juice, sugar, seltzer, and fresh and house-pickled cucumbers is a top seller.
Participants in the Tales of the Cocktail’s H20 seminar tasted cocktails made from one
part vodka and three parts water infused with produce, herbs and spices.
Marko Karakasevic of Charbay understands
why naturally flavored vodka is popular.
When he launched Meyer Lemon and Blood
Orange in 1998, bartender friends in Vegas
told him it was their job to flavor vodka. “I told
them that I agreed, but in summer, you can’t
make something taste like a fresh Meyer
lemon unless you have fresh Meyer lemons.”
Van Gogh in the Netherlands is a leader in
naturally infused flavored vodka, such as
Mojito Mint and Dutch Caramel, and recent
releases Dark Chocolate and Cool Peach.
Square One founder Allison Evanow chose
American rye for her vodka knowing that
the grain—lower in starch and higher in
protein and fiber than wheat—would make
processing more challenging. “I wanted a
base spirit with character, something that
was closer to a botanical spirit, with added
oomph and spiciness.”
Karakasevic, a 13th-generation distiller,
selects the organic fruit and drives the truck
to the distillery, where the entire fruit is used
in the vodka.
Many bartenders are skeptical about the
plethora of flavors. “I believe that we’ll see
fewer flavors of vodka on the horizon,” says
Brow. “So many flavors are on the market at
present that the market will get flooded.”
VODKA WITH FLAVOR
From the start, Evanow knew she wanted
to produce “culinary spirits,” meaning
vodkas distilled and infused with organic,
natural produce. After releasing Square
One Cucumber, she created Botanical,
which has a few standard gin components
plus lavender and rosemary. She added
Basil to the line this year. “I want these
vodkas to taste like real cucumber or basil
in the glass.”
Hangar One, Alameda, Calif., is another
artisanal producer with natural flavors. Along
with Mandarin Blossom, its most popular
flavor, Hangar One produces Kaffir Lime,
Buddha’s Hand and seasonal offerings such
as Fraser River Raspberry.
Karakasevic says there are no plans to
add to Charbay’s seven fresh fruit flavored
vodkas. “As for savory flavors, I don’t
perceive truffle/saffron/ginger/mole
flavored vodka as something people will
bang on the door to get.”
Some vodka makers traverse the globe
to find ingredients. Vanilla for Swedish-
produced Cariel Vanilla Vodka is sourced
from India for creamy notes and from
Madagascar for floral and fruity essence.
Many restaurateurs, such as Stephen
Montgomery at Italian Colors in Oakland,
Calif., see a role for one or two flavors.
Montgomery stocks Ketel One Oranje for
Tangerine Cosmos. “Our clientele likes
straight martinis. I bought one bottle of
Stolichnaya Razberi for seasonal Raspberry
Martinis, not a case.”
