Mmm
Bacon...Flavored Vodka?
America's favorite straight
stuff gets an injection of flavor.
Once
upon a time, vodka was popular for being virtually tasteless,
delivering all the punch of alcohol without all of that annoying
flavor. It was the ultimate blank canvas, melding with pretty
much any mixer a bartender could pair it with. As vodka popularity
grew in the '80s and '90s, liquor distillers realized there
was money to be made through product extensions, so companies
dove in head first. Thus, the tidal wave of flavored vodkas
was unleashed.
Flavored vodkas have actually
been around for a long time, they've just not been as popular
as the straight stuff here in the New World. The first of these
were fairly innocuous - based on fairly traditional liqueurs
and flavors from vodka producing countries like Russia, Poland
and Sweden such as lemon, pepper, black currant, and a few others.
With vodka firmly established
as the number one selling spirit in the country, the recent
added attention from "Sex and the City" wannabes swilling
down Cosmos by the pitcher opened the floodgates for flavored
vodkas to be the next big thing. Today, shelves are packed full
of some of the most bizarre flavors known to mankind - cilantro
and green tea are just the tip of the iceberg. And with bacon
vodka hitting the market recently, who knows what could be next?
Navigating this minefield can be a brutal exercise in trial
and painful error. The following are a few flavors worth trying,
assuming you're not too busy making homemade Skittles vodka.
Medos Honey Vodka - Supposedly
a traditional Polish drink, this honey flavored vodka ranges
anywhere from $17-$40 per bottle and goes down ridiculously
smoothly. Or at least as smoothly as 80-proof vodka can. It's
a rich gold in the shot glass, with a slightly syrupy texture.
It's traditionally warmed and drank straight, but can certainly
be iced down in the freezer like any other vodka. It's far less
sweet than expected as well, herbal extracts added to the mix
that giving it a slightly bitter edge and making it a great
ingredient for cocktails. Drop it in a glass of Coke, lemonade,
or ginger ale for a tasty spring drink.
Hangar One Kaffir Lime Vodka
- Most lime flavored vodkas are vile concoctions so sweet that
the hangover hits you long before you hit the sheets. Luckily,
this is one of the exceptions to the rule. Hangar One uses Kaffir
limes to flavor the vodka. These Southeast Asian fruits look
vaguely like the limes seen in most grocery stores, only smaller,
uglier, and they are far more acidic. Only slightly sweet, pepper
and basil flavors are mixed in to add some complexity and balance.
It doesn't get much better than nights spent relaxing in the
backyard with a glass of this mixed with tonic, especially if
you're on your second or third.
Ciroc Red Berry - A slightly
more familiar approach to flavored vodkas, Ciroc is flavored
with raspberries and strawberries. Unlike other berry-flavored
vodkas, it actually tastes like the source material, without
any of the bitter or metallic edge others usually feature. It
also doesn't lose the underlying characteristics Ciroc is known
for - a light medicinal tinge that makes it almost gin-like.
Luckily, that herbal flavor plays off the berries nicely without
tasting like the unholy union of a compost heap and a berry
patch.
Black Rock Spirits Bakon
Vodka - Dear lord, it really does taste like bacon. Floating
over the top of that familiar vodka burn is pure smoked porky
goodness. In fact, the bacon flavors are a bit too pronounced
to make this vodka to sip straight up, let alone as a shot.
However, it begs to be mixed creatively. When paired with the
right ingredients, there's all sorts of fun to be had. Not surprisingly,
it makes for what is quite possibly the best Bloody Mary of
all time. Better yet, 1.5 ounces of Bakon with a raw oyster
and a few dashes of Tabasco just begs to be a remedy for a brutal
morning after. For mixed company, a better approach might be
to swap the usual vodka in a Mudslide for the pig-laden variety,
blending 1 ounce each of Kahlua, Bailey's and Bakon over ice
for an incredibly creamy pork-bomb. Just don't forget to check
if any of your guests keep Kosher before you do.