These events tend to be a mixed blessing for attendees, due to the high alcohol consumption mixed with the desire to remember the best drinks sampled. On this night, the night club was filled with small batch liquor companies looking to gain more popularity amongst the retailers and enthusiasts that crowded in. Below, are my findings of new and developing labels to keep your eyes on when looking for a new drink:
Amongst the numerous vodka companies on display, LIV (short for Long Island Vodka) is a potato based vodka that comes from the North Fork. Distilled to an almost water like clarity and taste, the burn of ethanol often felt when drinking straight vodka (as I have been known to do) is virtually non-existent. The soft nose hinted at scents of vanilla and citrus, with a clean finish. Another plus for those on a gluten free diet, this is 100% potato, and therefore can be enjoyed by everyone. (For more info check out, http://lispirits.com/home.html)
My other favorite in the Vodka department for the night is an artisinal company from Maine called Cold River. Theirs is also gluten- free, and while their standard vodka does leave a slight burn on the finish, the stand out for me was their recently released blueberry vodka. The pungent nose screamed of blueberry and huckleberry while the taste was more subtle and refined. Made from Maine blueberries and the addition of a minimal amount of sugar, this could be dessert in a glass for me. (http://www.coldrivervodka.com/)
Loft Organic Liqueurs (http://www.loftliqueurs.com/) was a surprise hit we stumbled upon towards the end of the evening. This certified organic, certified kosher company delivers a low alcohol, high flavor drink similar to that of Italian Limoncello. With flavors like lavender and lemongrass mixed in with mandarin orange, these liqueurs made me realize that a few glasses of any of these could give me my own Danny Devito incident.
While there were plenty of drinks to be had, there isn't enough time to try them all so here is my list of other ones to try if you happen to see them on bar shelf soon:
Macchu Pisco: official drink of Peru, similar to Brazilian cachasa, smooth like vodka and full of flavor like gin (http://www.macchupisco.com/)
Death's Door Spirits: distilled clear, you can't tell the difference from the bottle between the spirits but this company out of Washington makes super refined gin, vodka and whiskey (http://www.deathsdoorspirits.com/)
Square One Vodka: another organic vodka from Wyoming, these 100% American Rye come in several flavors, including Cucumber and Botanical, these add and interesting twist to any cocktail (http://www.squareonevodka.com/)
Tuthilltown Distllery: out of the Hudson Valley comes a selection of Whiskey's with varying degrees of intensity and piediness. With several options, from the Baby Bourbon to the Single Malt, its easy to find one bottle that will fit your taste (http://www.tuthilltown.com/)
Now, the last thing to do is drink up!
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