Unleashing New Spirits

Over the years, the martini has become somewhat of an icon. Having been referred to as the king of cocktails, H. L. Mencken once called the martini “the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet.” E. B. White called it “the elixir of quietude.” Novelist Bernard DeVoto once said, “You can no more keep a martini in the refrigerator than you can keep a kiss there. The proper union of gin and vermouth is … one of the happiest marriages on earth, and one of the shortest lived.” And, of course, Bond preferred his “shaken, not stirred.”

Its origin is in dispute, but the martini dates back to about 1862 when it contained more vermouth than gin. The martini’s popularity has waxed and waned, and its recipe has changed considerably over the years. Purists wince at the thought of vodka replacing gin, and many insist this variation should be designated as such with a name like vodkatini or a “kangaroo.” 

The martini’s popularity waned in the health-conscious, wine-and-spritzer-drinking ’70s, but resurged in the late ’80s and ’90s. During this “martini renaissance,” vodka supplanted gin as the most commonly requested base spirit, and nouveau variations proliferated — the green apple martini, the chocolate martini, and so forth.

Whether the more extreme variations of this era may truly be called martinis remains a topic of vigorous debate.

Regardless of the results of said cogitation, spirits manufacturers have certainly been paying attention to the rise in popularity. The number and diversity of flavors is a clear reflection of our palate’s imagination. Recent releases include everything from wasabi to toffee variations. Here are but a few of the more interesting to shake up your next happy hour.

A new vodka recently launched called Wasabe doesn’t actually contain wasabi (although it sounds like an interesting possibility). Instead it is a 75/25 mixture of Dutch vodka and Japanese sake. The vodka is 70 proof, making it a little less potent than traditional vodkas but a bit more pepped up than straight sake.

Myagkov Vodka is among the newest lines of vodka available to Russian drinkers. According to its manufacturer, Pervy Likyoro-Vodochny Zavod JSC, old traditions are preserved and combined with modern technology to result in a delicately and smooth-tasting vodka. The Silver variant is sweetened with sugar and fructose, while the Honey vodka is sweetened with natural honey and glycerin. The Amber variant contains only glycerin.

While this vodka does not bear the same antioxidant benefits extolled by researchers of its flavor benefactor, Pearl Persephone Pomegranate Original Flavored Vodka has a delicious taste that can be enjoyed chilled, mixed with juice or soda, or as an exotic addition to martinis.

As eclectic as its namesake city, Gotham vodka has been described by the Beverage Tasting Institute as having a “Medium- to full-bodied palate with pastry frosting and cream flavors. Finishes with a light touch of peppery spice and talc.” Whether or not you like the vodka, Gotham’s porcelain skyscraper bottle is a work of art.

Johnny Love Flavored Vodka conjures up a tropical paradise with their pineapple flavored Alohatini and a passion fruit flavored Passiontini. Their Tangerine Martini transports you to fragrant orchards and warm tropical evenings.

As pretty to look at as it is divine to drink, Diva Vodka is a wheat-based vodka that is triple distilled and filtered through Nordic birch charcoal and then filtered through precious gems like diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. The bottle contains a glass tube filled with crystals that can be used as a garnish. The 48 crystals in each bottle include cubic zircona, smoky topaz, pink tourmaline, amethyst, citrine, and peridot. For those of more discriminating taste, there is a precious gem variation.

Skyy’s initial claim to fame was a vodka relatively free of congeners, or the leftovers from distillation that can cause hangovers and headaches. They have gone another step with a new 90 bottle. Using a new facility that took ten years and

$25 million to create, this vodka is the first ever distilled to 200 proof, meaning zero leftover water or byproducts. Water from Sierra Mountain gets blended back in to bring it down to 90 proof, yielding an impressively crisp, clean taste.

Sometimes referred to as the Asian vodka, shochu is a colorless drink that is light and lemony. Haamonii Smooth purports to be a hangover free version.

Made from a blend of California vinifera wine grapes, Roth Vodka is another addition to the well-crowded vodka market. Much like the the French grape vodka, Ciroc, Roth has a distinctively sweet and fruity tang to it.

With its refreshing taste and aroma, green tea is used to flavor many items, from ice cream to spa products — and now vodka. Green Tea Vodka is flavored with the extractions of four Chinese green tea varieties, all blended in a style similar to the way perfume is created. This attention to the vodka’s aroma gives the spirit a balanced structure and smooth finish.

The only Irish vodka in the U.S., Boru comes in a sexy trinity — three 200-ml bottles of original, orange, and citrus-flavored vodkas stacked vertically to form one frosted-glass bottle shape.

We’ve seen every other flavor of vodka, so toffee should be no surprise. Toffoc is a Welsh brand of a toffee-flavored vodka drink. The proprietors first tasted toffee vodka in the Alps and decided to bring the idea to the U.K. Apparently Tony Blair is a fan and the brand is now being rolled out across the U.K.

It seems like a good time to stir things up with your favorite bartender and explore their ’tini talents with a few newly unleashed flavors. — Ann Radcliffe