Cheers

www.cheersonline.com 24 | MAY 2014 Soyombo vodka is distilled in Mongolia from organic wheat, as is Snow Queen from Kazakhstan, while Milk Money from New Zealand is made from milk sugars. Other source ingredients for vodka include honey, sugar cane, triticale, soy and virgin potatoes. Another point of differentiation for vodka is the water. Organic Ocean Vodka claims to be the only vodka made with ocean water, sourced from 3,000 feet off Hawaii and then purified and desalinated. ere's also Leaf, a two-pronged approach that offers vodkas finished with either Rocky Mountain water or Alaskan glacier water. Vodka styles vary widely, Abou-Ganim notes, from heavy, rich and oily at one end of the palate spectrum to lighter, citrusy and crisp at the other. "Not that one is better than another, but we have these different styles and source ingredients that are traditional," he says. "And now that vodka is being made in so many places out of so many ingredients, there are different things to look for." RAISING THE VODKA BAR Sub Zero, a St. Louis vodka temple, carries more than 600 brands served from a freezer behind the bar. e operator, which opened 14 years ago, keeps expanding in size and in the sheer number of vodkas sold; it thrives through the sale of vodka via frozen shots, cocktails and infusions, says Derek Gamlin, who co-owns Sub Zero with his brother Lucas. Organizing the vodkas by country of origin, ingredient, flavors and price, is part of what makes the Sub Zero menu so much fun to navigate, Gamlin notes. But stocking and chilling so many vodkas has become practically a full-time job. "It's tough—it always is growing, and at the same time we have to hoard some rare vodkas that nobody else in the area has," Gamlin says. One is Clix vodka, a brand reputedly distilled 159 times that has generated some local interest. Nemiroff, Pravda, Tito's, Stoli Elit, and the Our City series have developed strong followings at Sub Zero as well, he adds. Ariana is a new vodka-centric boite that opened in New York's Soho district in February. Owned by Russian pop star Ariana Grinblat, Ariana's stated aim is to reinvigorate vodka's popularity at a time when brown spirits are in vogue. "Building a menu for a Russian restaurant made vodka very important, but as a boutique bar, I was thinking how to make the menu with more sophistication as well," says beverage consultant/bartender Orson Salicetti, who developed Ariana's drink program. e result is a multipart menu starting with a set of seasonally changing vodka-based cocktails. e spring menu included the Lavender Sour (vodka, lavender elixir, egg white, Lillet Blanc and lemon juice) and the Khurma Cocktail (persimmon- infused vodka, apple cider, spice liqueur, agave nectar and lime), both $15. Aged vodkas are another specialty: Barrel aging cocktails is old hat now, but it's rare to see vodka cocktails participate in the fad. Salicetti ages vodka in oak barrels for at least six weeks and uses it for specialty Martinis such as the Ariana Soho, made with vodka, Benedictine, Atsby vermouth and bitters. "is was a discovery for me in developing the drinks, how different vodkas responded depending on what the vodka is made from, rye or wheat or potato," Salicetti says. "My point in aging [vodkas] is to see how they pick up more wood and vanilla, or how some seem more oily or stronger. It's very interesting and presents vodka in a different light." Ariana also offers e 29 Minute Vodka Punch, which serves 5 to 6 people and is priced at $95. e drink menu advises guests to let their server know 29 minutes in advance or call ahead if they plan to enjoy the punch, which is made with seasonal Inventive vodka concoctions at Ariana in New York include the Khurma cocktail, left, made with persimmon-infused vodka, Swedish holiday liqueur, apple cider, lime juice and agave nectar, and the Lavender Sour, with vodka, lavender elixir, egg white, Lillet Blanc and lemon juice. PAIRING VODKA WITH FOOD Food friendliness is a trait that winemakers love to trumpet but one few spirit producers mention. It's also an advantage that vodka has over most spirits. In Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Russia, vodka was the alcohol beverage of choice, and typically served with briny, salty, smoky and earthy fare such as pickles, caviar, smoked fish or meat. The crisp astringency present in many traditional vodkas makes them a perfect match for these types of foods. The Petrossian Bar at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas is an example of how to sell vodka and food to an upmarket crowd, according to spirits consultant Tony Abou-Ganim, who used to oversee the spot. The Petrossian pairs frozen vodkas with a variety of dishes including different caviars. Food and vodka together were foremost in Orson Salicetti's mind when he was asked to develop the beverage program at the new bar/restaurant Ariana in New York. Ariana offers culinary-minded vodka infusions paired with small plates such as pickled crudities, country pate and horseradish prawns.—JR 22-25 vodka CH0514.indd 24 5/7/14 10:14 AM

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