Tag Archives: vodka

A toast to dad, the Bloody Bay

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Think of everything your dad went through to bring you up.

Bloody-Bay-Credit-Jason-VarneyNo wonder he is bald.

On Father’s Day, say ‘thank you.’ And mix the guy a drink.

I suggest the Bloody Bay, a cocktail made with The Bay Seasoned Vodka, an elixir spiked with traditional Chesapeake Bay seasonings. It’s already hot and spicy, which makes mixing a Bloody a snap.

We put The Bay to the test, assembling a panel of tasters at a recent brunch at our house, with our own variation on the recipe on a tag attached to the bottle. Here goes:

Mix 1.5 ounces of the The Bay Vodka with 4 ounces of extra spicy V-8 and a squeeze of lemon juice. Mix vigorously with ice, then pour into a footed ice tea glass with more ice. Add a stalk of celery. (Substitute wedges of cucumber when you run out of celery.)

unnamed-1We found The Bay ideal for entertaining. The company recipe suggests using your favorite Bloody Mary mix but we thought the vodka and V-8 added sufficient zing. Zesty and delicious.

The Bay is made by Philadelphia Distilling, whose co-founder Andrew Aurwerda was inspired by his days at the University of Maryland, where I suspect there was a whole lot of drinking going on.

Don’t tell dad. But do buy him a bottle of The Bay. Expect to pay about $25 for a one-liter bottle outfitted with a cool hinged china stopper.

Broken Shed Vodka is whey cool

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bottle_2011_0-98x300Two guys in a tumbledown shack have lots of time to think. And, odds are they can really use a drink.

In a dinged-up shed on a mountain in New Zealand, two Yanks from Connecticut dreamed up a New Zealand vodka. The aptly named Broken Shed is distilled four times. It’s gluten-free, additive-free and naturally smooth. No sugar, either.

The creamy notes come from whey, which the Broken Shed folks refer to as “milk honey.” The result is an inviting vodka that is round, rather than sharp, with no cloying sweetness.

Whey to go, guys.

Expect to pay about $30 for a 750 ml bottle. Broken Shed is currently available in New York, Connecticut and online purveyors.

0You could tuck a bottle of Broken Shed in the freezer and enjoy with ice and a lemon twist. The makers suggest a classic cocktail to get us through ‘til spring.

In the 1960s, the Old Fashioned cocktail was in vogue. My grandparents traveled with their own blend, delighting hosts who would add ice and an orange slice. Typically made using bourbon or whiskey, Broken Shed has put their own spin on this timeless temptation.

 

Here’s a whey-cool recipe:

Old Fashioned

3 oz Broken Shed vodka

3 dash bitters

1 sugar cube

Zest of lemon/orange/grapefruit

Garnish- flamed or not

In glass, add sugar cube with bitters and few slices of zest, add 3 oz vodka and 4 cubes ice. Stir for 10-15 seconds.

Garnish and serve to copious thanks.

 

A Prévu to romance

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As  Valentine’s Day approaches, we are coming up with novel ways to say I really, really love you.


imagesEnter Prévu,  a new and engaging blend of wheat-based vodka and cognac,  distilled in Cognac. In France, of course.

First, let’s talk about the bubbles, the harbinger of celebration. This  sparkling liqueur is an effervescent blend of 70% vodka and 30% cognac. Expect black currant, raspberry, blackberry and a bouquet of violets,  a combination that offers natural sophistication.

The color is so gorgeous you will be tempted to dash to the paint store and ask the clerk to match it. Plus, Prévu’s ingredients are all certified organic and natural. The proof? It’s 17%.

That’s less than other liqueurs. That means you can actually taste the blend of vodka and cognac. It also presents the option of mixing a cocktail or simply enjoying a pour on the rocks, chilled, with lemon or lime.

Prévu was created by 27-year-old entrepreneur Simon Tikhman, who was raised in an organic household and then studied business. After immersing himself in San Francisco, he developed Prévu, which is now served in the hippest lounges in the city by the bay.

If you want to impress your date or mate, consider The First Kiss, a simple but potent cocktail. Here’s the recipe:

– 3 oz. Prévu

-1 oz. champagne

-Add a raspberry for garnish — and enjoy a big smooch

Beluga vodka, a premium pour

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It’s bad form to drink like a fish.

But do reach for Beluga, the vodka with the sturgeon on the label.

The number one super premium pour in Russia, Beluga now sells two vodkas in the United States: the flagship Beluga Gold, with individually numbered bottles and a $199 price tag; and Beluga Noble, a finely crafted vodka packaged in a lovely bottle embellished with a shiny  sturgeon and available for less than $40.

We sampled Noble, which matures for 30 days and is distilled three times with a whisper of honey, oats and milk thistle extract at Russia’s iconic Mariinsky Distillery. The water comes from the chilly Siberian artesian springs that water the hardy grains that go into the vodka. The result is a crystal clear elixir that is a bit medicinal upon first sip and soon settles into a crisp, pleasing tonic for whatever ails you.

We mixed Beluga in cocktails and decided we like it best presented simply, with a generous splash of Schweppe’s tonic and a slice of lemon or lime. Chill the tonic and the vodka and add lots of ice. Or skip the tonic and ice and simply enjoy a nip of blizzard-cold Noble. Forget all about Siberia.

The intuitive pairing for Beluga is caviar. It’s also an impressive accompaniment to smoked salmon.

Whatever you serve it with, think of Beluga as a fish to be reckoned with in the big pond of premium vodkas. And you don’t have to swim upstream to enjoy it.