vodka

Academy Awards-Inspired Cocktails from Grey Goose

Grey Goose, the super-premium vodka blended and bottled in the celebrated Cognac region of Western France, has come up with some entertaining cocktails inspired by this year's Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards (aka the Oscars). The drinks have been cleverly concocted to reflect the films for which they're named and the stars themselves – don't orchids remind you of Natalie Portman? Bottoms up and may the best man win....:

Tags: Academy Awards, Academy Awards 2011, Black Swan, cocktails, entertainment, Grey Goose, movies, Natalie Portman, Oscars, Oscars 2011, Social Network, The Kings Speech, vodka

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SKYY Introduces Dragon Fruit & Blood Orange Infusion Vodkas

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

SKYY Infusions Blood Orange & Dragon Fruit

A year after the launch of its ginger-infused vodka, American premium label SKYY has launched the latest additions to its all-natural Infusions range with Dragon Fruit and Blood Orange flavors.

Building on the momentum and popularity of dragon fruit juices and flavored waters, SKYY Infusions Dragon Fruit presents an exotic taste and is billed as the first dragon fruit vodka available across the country. Meanwhile SKYY Infusions Blood Orange builds on the popularity of orange-flavored vodkas – third most popular in the category – with a more intense flavor particularly suited to Tiki cocktails.

Both are presently launching coast-to-coast, with volumes and prices targeted at 50ml ($1.99 MSRP), 750ml ($18.49 MSRP) and 1 liter ($26.49 MSRP). They join the existing line-up of Citrus, Cherry, Grape, Raspberry, Passion Fruit, Pineapple and Ginger infused vodkas.

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Tags: flavored vodka, infused vodka, infusion vodka, skyy, skyy infusions, SKYY Infusions Blood Orange, SKYY Infusions Dragon Fruit, skyy vodka, vodka

Absolut Launches New Wild Tea Vodka

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Few vodka companies offer the immense selection of flavor varieties as does Absolut. The Swedish distiller offers dozens of different flavors ranging from Mango and Citron to Vanilia and Peppar (a personal favorite for dirty martinis), and has now added one more to the portfolio: Absolut Wild Tea.

The latest Absolut flavor is infused with the flavors of tea, elderflower, red apples and citrus, and has been formulated to mix well with a wide range of sweet and sour ingredients. Absolut recommends using it in a Gimlet with lime juice and simple syrup, in a Cosmopolitan with cranberry juice and orange liqueur, or in a Mojito with lime juice, simple syrup, muddled mint leaves and a splash of soda.

Absolut Wild Tea is making its debut across the United States with dedicated launch events in Chicago, Miami, New York and Los Angeles over the next month or so, and will be available nationwide with an MSRP of $24.99 for the liter or $19.99 for 750 ml.

Tags: Absolut, Absolut vodka, Absolut Wild Tea, Absolut Wild Tea vodka, vodka, Wild Tea, Wild Tea vodka

Chopin Launches New Premium Rye Vodka

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

High-end vodkas may be commonplace today, but they've really only been around since the late 1990s. That's when Grey Goose came to market, when Belvedere first debuted and when Chopin made its premiere.

Now some fourteen years after Chopin potato vodka first appeared, the Polish craft distillery is launching a new product: Chopin Rye. Distinguished by its red label, Chopin Rye Vodka is distilled, as you might have guessed, from rye grains instead of potatoes like its black-labeled sister product.

The new ultra-premium spirit (named after the famous composer) has been on the market in Poland for years, but is only now reaching the United States, where it will launch at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival later this month.

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Tags: chopin, chopin rye, chopin rye vodka, chopin vodka, rye, rye vodka, vodka

Arroyo Vodka, A New Taste In Arizona

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

A pair of enterprising sisters in Arizona have created a new vodka brand in Arizona. Arroyo Vodka is part of Forward Brands LLC a brand founded by Lauren Klemp and her sister Morgan. The Arizona Republic reports that the two sisters watched the growth of microbreweries and decided there was room for a new vodka brand. They found that buying the still and other equipment was easier than dealing with the paperwork. There are future plans for other flavors and a tasting room in Glendale.

Arizona only has a handful of microdistilleries including Arizona High Spirits Distillery which produces a unique prickly pear vodka. They may not have a lot of competition in Arizona but microdistilled vodka brands have popped up all around the country. Vodka remains a popular spirit for fledgling brands because of its popularity, versatility and the ability to customize flavors that might appeal to the public.

The first brand from Forward Brands, Arroyo, is named for the street the sisters grew up on. It launched with only 886 bottles selling at under $20. The vodka is corn based and distilled only once.

Tags: arroyo vodka, distillery, microdistillery, spirits, vodka

The Classicist: Celebrating the Season in Style with Range Rover at Wheatleigh

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Wine, Books, Men's Style, The Classicist

Click above for high-res image gallery. Photos exclusive to Luxist.

Winter can be a long, cold interlude verging on a test of endurance in the Northeast, and it's all too easy to get bogged down by the doldrums. Plenty of people either hibernate by their hearths or hit the beach until the mercury makes its ascent, but there are myriad ways to keep warm with style, verve and panache. We recently gathered some of our favorite accessories of the season at Wheatleigh, the majestic mansion-turned-luxury hotel in the heart of the Berkshires' winter wonderland. Getting us there in style and comfort through anything the weather cared to concoct was the 2011 Range Rover Sport, a luxurious way to see the landscape safe in the knowledge that the elements have met their match. The pedigreed SUV's smooth, refined, performance and rugged good looks mark it as a thoroughbred in all respects, a suitably stylish conveyance for arriving at a desirable destination like Wheatleigh. And we had the great new Olympus PEN E-PL1 compact, versatile digital camera on hand to record it all for your vicarious enjoyment.

Wheatleigh, located in Lenox, Mass. next door to Edith Wharton's famed country manor The Mount, is a grand estate based on a 16th century Florentine palazzo built in 1893 by New York financier Henry H. Cook for his daughter who married a Spanish count. Many of the materials and over 150 artisans were brought from Italy to produce intricate carvings and design flourishes for the grand interiors and facades. Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York, was responsible for creating "Wheatleigh Park" on the land surrounding the palazzo. Following a four year multimillion dollar renovation it was transformed into one of the most unique luxurious small hotels in the world. The nineteen suites, guest rooms and baths artfully combine antiques and custom furnishings with original museum quality contemporary art. The baths are finished with English limestone, marble and hand-blown glass fixtures, and most rooms feature fireplaces and Bang & Olufsen TVs. Check out the gallery to see the perfect accoutrements for a stylish seasonal sojourn – from books to watches, champagne to cashmere sweaters, and boots to bags – no matter where your journey takes you.

Gallery: Range Rover at Wheatleigh Dec. 2010

Graf & Lantz wool felt Boat Bag, personalized Tumi Alpha wheeled case.

Tumi Alpha case; Dom Perignon Tribute to Andy Warhol edition; Private Stock jeans; Graf & Lantz Quiver wine carrier w/ Robert Mo

Tags: Bang Olufsen, Berkshires, Brooks Brothers, Central Park, champagne, Dom Perignon, Edith Wharton, estates, Frederick Law Olmsted, gardens, Holiday 2010, L.L. Bean, Lenox, luggage, luxury hote, mansion, Massachusetts, mens style, New England, Olympus, Olympus PEN E-PL1, palazzo, Persol, Ralph Lauren, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, spirits, stolichnaya, sunglasses, SUV, teNeues, The Mount, Tumi, vodka, Wheatleigh, winter

ŻU Artisan Crafted, Bison Grass Flavored Vodka

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Holiday Guides

"It comes in a papoose!" That was my delighted cry when I opened my festive box of ZU Vodka, an artisanal bison grass flavored vodka. ZU Vodka is produced by the one and only authorized manufacturer of the legendary Polish Żubrówka, which has been around since the 14th century.

Bison grass? Yes. In fact, there's a stalk of bison grass included in every bottle of ZU. The vodka is wonderfully complex and could be a drink all on its own, with an unmistakably herbaceous flavor of fresh grass and hints of chamomile, almond and vanilla. The vodka itself has a greenish tint, which definitely stands out in a crowd.

A PR representative for ZU told me about Żubrówka's popularity in Poland, so I wrote to a Polish friend of mine, Ola Bienkowska, to get the real scoop on what the Polish opinion was. Here was her reply:

"Yes, Żubrówka is very, very popular. In fact it's a classic, right among Wyborowa and Belvedere. 'Żubr' is 'bison' in Polish, so 'Żubrówka' is 'Bison vodka.' It's very popular, and actually perceived as classier than the others. This is because it's rarely drunk straight up or in shots, rather, it's used in cocktails. It's extremely popular with apple juice -- that's the classic Polish vodka drink and no other vodkas are used to make it. So, it's more of a 'genteel' drink, for ladies and gentlemen, not your regular drunks! It also looks different. It's slightly yellow-brown-green tinted and there's a piece of grass in the bottle, hence the name. Girls will go for it. So will most men."

Ola's word is good enough for me! Also, so is the ZU Vodka, which I tasted and enjoyed thoroughly with apple juice, on its own, and with soda. The herbal flavor might make you think "spring" or "summer," but when it comes in a fur-lined papoose, it's definitely suitable for the holidays -- and would make a great gift for your Polish or vodka connoisseur friends.

Gallery: ZU Vodka - Holiday Papoose

ŻU Vodka is currently available in New York, California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and Nevada where fine spirits are sold. The suggested retail price is $25 for a 750ml bottle. For more information, visit: www.ZUVodka.com.

Tags: holiday shopping, poland, polish, vodka, zu vodka, zubrowska

Belvedere 80 Vodka Review

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

It's not easy to craft a new vodka that isn't more hype than hooch. But Belvedere gets credit for creating a discernible, interesting new expression.

Belvedere 80 Unfiltered Vodka is distilled four times from Dankowskie Diamond Rye, which is a rare and super premium baker's grade grain that gives the vodka an elegant full bodied taste that has hints of baked breads, sea salt and white pepper. Price $31.00.

The unfiltered vodka is unique for Belvedere, which follows a filtration and distillation processes with its other expressions.

The last Belvedere expression we tried was Belvedere Intense, a 100-proof vodka.

Tags: alcohol, Belvedere 80, Belvedere vodka, liquor, spirits, vodka

Vodka Cocktail Makes Use of Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Ever though of using your leftover sweet potatoes in a cocktail? Grey Goose Master Mixologist Nick Mautone has. He created the Grey Goose L'Orange Sweet Indulgence cocktail. At only one tablespoon of sweet potato per cocktail it will take you a while to work through your mound of orange leftovers but hey, it's a start.

Grey Goose L'Orange Sweet Indulgence
1 ½ parts Grey Goose L'Orange Flavored Vodka
½ part Vanilla Brandy or Liqueur
1 part lime juice
¼ part maple or simple syrup
¼ part molasses
1 tbsp roasted or mashed sweet potato

In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, place the syrup, molasses and sweet potato. Muddle gently. Add the ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake vigorously. Double-strain into a glass and garnish.

Tags: cocktail recipes, grey goose, thanksgiving cocktails, vodka

Napa Valley Vodka, Sips of Sauvignon Blanc

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Last year saw the introduction of Napa Valley Limoncello, this year Arthur Hartunian, the owner of the Napa Valley Distillery, has a new trick up his sleeve, Napa Sauvignon Blanc vodka. The luxury vodka is made from pricey Napa Valley grapes.

According to an article in the LA Weekly it can take nearly 20 tons of grapes to produce a 300-gallon batch. The vodka is filtered 10 times, first through bone charcoal and later through platinum-plated filters. After that it is given a waiting period of up to 60 days. Like other grape-based vodkas this one is described as slightly sweet with a complex finish. The 2008 'vintage' of Napa Valley Vodka sells for $75. This year's release was limited to 2,600 signed bottles.

Tags: grape vodka, grape-based vodka, napa valley, napa vodka, sauvignon blanc, vodka

Moon Mountain Organic Artisan Vodka

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The production processes for wines and spirits are about as different as night and day. Moon Mountain, however, seeks to bridge that divide with their new organic artisanal vodka.

Master distiller Gerry Webb dreamed up the vodka upon visiting the Moon Mountain Vineyard in Sonoma County, determined to apply the same craftsmanship and attention to detail to a distilled spirit. He then set about setting up small-batch, copper-pot distillation in the Midwest, made from grains grown in Minnesota and Indiana and bottling it at the latter as well.

The result is said to be exceptionally smooth and delicate, now hitting shelves nationwide with a suggested retail price of $19.99. Visit MoonMountainVodka.com for more information.

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Tags: artisan, artisanal, moon mountain, moon mountain vodka, organic, vodka

Van Gogh BLUE Vodka's Cocktails and Confessions Facebook Contest

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Van Gogh Blue Vodka's Cocktails & Confessions Contest

Van Gogh BLUE Vodka, the first ultra-premium vodka made from three international wheat sources, has launched a contest on Facebook giving readers the chance to win the ultimate "ladies night in" gift package hosted by celebrity chef Jon Ashton.

Ashton, the food correspondent for the nationally syndicated Morning Show "The Daily Buzz" along with a sous chef, will cook dinner for the winner of Van Gogh BLUE's Cocktails & Confessions Contest and 25 of his or her friends and family. The winner will also receive an American Express gift card with a $500 credit.

To participate in the contest, visit and "like" Van Gogh BLUE's Facebook page. Next, click on the "contest" tab to enter. Fill in a "gab lib" cocktail confession story about you and your friends. The 'story' will be judged on originality, humor and creativity.

Adults (21 years of age and older), can register to win the ultimate girls' night in Van Gogh BLUE's Cocktails & Confessions Contest. Van Gogh BLUE's Cocktails & Confessions contest runs from now through December 3, 2010.

Van Gogh Vodka is triple distilled in the Royal Dirkzwager distillery in Schiedam, Holland by Master Distiller, Tim Vos for an exceptionally polished taste with a smooth, neutral flavor full of subtle nuances from the three European grains. A Gold Medal winner at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Van Gogh BLUE is 80 proof and retails for $29 (750ml). For a festive cocktail featuring Van Gogh BLUE Vodka, see the slideshow below.

Tags: cocktail recipes, contest, Jon Ashton, Van Gogh Blue, van gogh vodka, vodka

Russian Standard Vodka Carries New Proof of Origin

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Do you like your vodka Russian? If Russian provenance is important to you, Russian Standard vodka wants you to know its 100% Russian. The Russian Federation has ruled that to be labeled a Russian vodka, all ingredients must be grown, distilled, and bottled in Russia and Russian Standard Vodka is one of the first vodkas in the U.S. that will carry a special label with a unique number declaring its 100% Russian provenance.

"We are proud to display our Certificate of Origin as a guarantee of Russian Standard Vodka's quality and provenance," said Roustam Tariko, founder and president of Russian Standard Vodka in a press release. "In today's world, consumers value authenticity and production origin highly in their choice of brands. Just as superb French and Italian products are awarded Appellation d'origine controlee and Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or a Cuban cigar holds the coveted Habanos D.O.P., Russia, the homeland of vodka, also must guarantee its national drink. Our Certification of Origin will help vodka lovers distinguish Russian Standard from the many vodka brands that pretend to be Russian, but are not."

Tags: roustam tariko, russian standard, vodka

Absolut Launches Absolut Glimmer Holiday Packaging

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Absolut Vodka has unveiled its newest limited-edition holiday bottle. Absolut Glimmer has the look of a cut crystal decanter. The bottle has gone through many different wraps and colors over the years but this is the first time that the bottle itself has been altered. The bottle is made of pressed glass mimicking the look of classically cut crystal. The 750 ml bottle sells for $19.99.

Tags: absolut, absolut vodka, holiday packaging, limited edition candy, liquor, vodka

Grey Goose Vodka Magnum by Chopard

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

If you're looking for a premium vodka, it doesn't get much more up-market than Grey Goose. Though not without its share of challengers, the French vodka has earned itself a solid place atop the vodka market. But of course there's always someone looking for something a little more special. And for just such a market, the Grey Goose has teamed up with Swiss watchmaker and jeweler Chopard on a very exclusive limited edition bottle.

Limited to just ten examples, Chopard has encaged a magnum of Grey Goose –complete with a glimmering goose, wings aspread, atop a sparkling globe –in a silver cage. Don't like it too much, though, because those ten examples – available exclusively from Colette – are sure to be snapped up rather quickly, even at a €600 ($815) asking price.

Fortunately for those missing out, the special Chopard bottle can be had without the silver cage for a (relatively) more reasonable €350.

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Tags: chopard, colette, gray goose, grey goose, limited edition, special edition, vodka

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