Market Watch, Summer 2020

SUMMER 2020 MARKETW ATCHMAG COM MARKET WATCH 63 cocktails that can be dangerously delicious Perrigo adds Organic vodka cocktail combinations are also proving particularly popular among millennial consumers Prairie Organic vodka from Phillips Distilling Co offers a variety of organic cocktail recipes including the Blackberry Basil Smash mixing Prairie with muddled blackberries basil lime juice and simple syrup and the Blueberry Honey Fizz which features Prairie along with honey lime juice club soda and muddled blueberries At The Loyal The Safe Bet 17 features poached pear infused Stolichnaya vodka with house made sage lemongrass syrup pineapple and lime juices and Bénédictine liqueur Vodka is something that lends itself well to whatever you choose to mix it with Racine says At The Loyal this could range from fresh produce we find at the market and want to showcase to a well made dry vermouth were excited about for a Martini or cleaner style cocktail Travelles Borisov notes that vodkas adaptability gives him the freedom to express his creativity behind the bar His Colognist cocktail 19 is a unique original comprising gummy bear washed Ketel One vodka St George Spiced Pear liqueur cranberry and lime juices and house made cinnamon syrup Castaways Smith hopes bar menus continue to feature inventive vodka cocktails in the future Vodka will always be a top seller which is why we have to make the commitment to be more creative technical and playful with the spirit he says Guests have seen so many iterations of vodka based cocktails you have to come up with something new mw ites White adds They allow my guest to enjoy a vodka based cocktail but also allow me to work with a little additional flavor in the base spirit which Ive found helpful in putting together composed drinks Nelis of Caledonia Spirits notes that vodka was traditionally crafted to be as flavorless and odorless as possible which often meant that cheap ingredients were used in production and that the spirit would be filtered many times Craft distillers have more recently been doing things to preserve the flavor of the premium agricultural products used to make vodka and respect the hard work of the farmers who grew them he says One way is to take a much cleaner cut of the heart of the distillate and then filter it very little in an effort to avoid losing the remaining flavor More recently many bartenders have started to change their views on vodka because there are some craft distillers out there like Caledonia Spirits that are producing vodka that actually features some of the flavor essence of the agricultural product its derived from At Caledonia Spirits distillery bar Barr Hill vodka distilled from raw honey is mixed in a range drinks from riffs on classics to more unique modern concoctions Nelis The Northern Royal Fizz 11 features the vodka with Branca Menta amaro diluted maple syrup cream fresh lemon juice whole egg and seltzer while bartender Mary Albertis Thornhill Spritz 10 mixes the vodka with Cynar amaro house made elderberry cordial and ginger syrup lime juice Kraemer Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne and a spritz of Pernod absinthe Theres certainly appreciation for U S made craft vodka among both bartenders and consumers Titos is a popular brand with guests and I always try to push One Eight vodka because its made right here in D C and I love its smooth creamy flavors says Perrigo of LAnnexe His The Hat cocktail 18 comprises Titos passion fruit purée lemon juice egg white and Angostura bitters and his On The Vine cocktail 12 blends honeydew infused One Eight vodka house made cucumber syrup lemon juice and Charles de Fère Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine Vodka is unique in how easy it is to infuse lending itself to flavorful Chicago bars Travelle and Gaijin highlight vodka in drinks that express bartenders creativity and individuality The Colognist top from Travelle features gummy bear washed Ketel One while the Yuzu above from Highball focused Gaijin features Effen Yuzu Citrus and house made butterfly pea syrup