Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Feb 1, 2009 18:42:41 GMT -6
As I alluded to in my thread on Scotch tastings, Union Square Wines & Spirits has its annual Super Bowl of Martinis on the weekend of the Super Bowl each year; usually, it’s on the Saturday afternoon the day before the big game – but due to a scheduling conflict this year, it was on Friday night instead. No matter – it was a big crowd that had plenty of fun sampling both new and familiar vodkas and gins in this dog-drink-dog competition. This was the 3rd consecutive year that USQ held its Martini Bowl – in each of the previous years, Bulldog Gin was the resounding winner. So, the big question: Could Bulldog pull off the impossible Three-peat in 2009? This tasting would tell …
While representatives from well-known vodka companies like Belvedere and Reyka attended, I chose to skip those and instead try attendees whose product I was either unfamiliar with or who were personal favorites from previous Martini Bowls. Little did I know that I would be in for some pleasant – and in some cases, shocking – surprises!
First up was Cape North Vodka, a collaboration from France & Sweden. While the product is originally made in Sweden, it is distilled in France, making it an unexpected marriage. Without a doubt, this was the strongest tasting vodka I had all evening (making it an unusual choice to place them at first – normally, you’d want to work your way up to something that tasted as strong). Now, you might be saying to yourself – quite understandably – that if it’s vodka, it’s not supposed to even *have* a taste. True, but apparently, from the way it’s prepared, this is what gives it a rather distinctive kick – in fact, the manufacturer was so proud of its taste neat, they wouldn’t even think of using it as a mixing cocktail. Although the standard 80 proof for vodka, its alcohol content tastes much higher – if you’re not a fan of the dry vodka martini, I definitely recommend this one.
I then skipped over the next two representatives (Belvedere from Poland and Chopin, a potato vodka, also from Poland) to try a vodka called Heavy Water from Sweden. The concoction they offered, called The Bittersweet Result, consisted of Aperol, grapefruit juice & lemon juice shaken with their product, with a splash of Prosecco added after pouring it into a small glass. Quite tasty, but the fact that they did not have the confidence in their product to allow me to try it neat – combined with a very gimmicky product packaging – prevents me from giving it a recommendation.
Next up was a gin called Bluecoat which I was fascinated in trying simply because of its origin: Philadelphia! Who knew Philly produced a gin? Their marketing rep then mixed a cocktail that he admitted had no name because he’d just invented it a scant half hour before! Nevertheless, it was quite tasty – it contained fresh raspberries, lemon juice and St. Germain elderflower liqueur shaken with 2 ounces of Bluecoat. Tried neat, the Bluecoat has a very lemony taste – coming from its mix of two dozen botanicals. This one was quite a nice discovery.
Going back to the vodkas, I tried Crop Organic Assorted Vodkas from Minnesota. Representatives from the company claimed their product to be distinct because of its all-organic ingredients. Their samples included something called Artisanal (a straight vodka with no infusion), Tomato (which they said made a great Bloody Mary) and Cucumber. Never having either seen or heard of a cucumber-infused vodka prior to this, I was fascinated with trying it neat. They were more than happy to pour me a sample, and sipping it, I found it to be quite refreshing – perhaps a great Martini on a late afternoon during the summer. With a distinctive (but in no way overpowering) taste, I could easily see myself making this one a regular – and reasonably priced at $30 for a 750mL bottle, why not?
Time for another gin – this one, with sweet memories of Martini Bowls prior … Hendrick’s from Scotland. Fortunately, the Hendrick’s people recognize that they are not for every gin drinker – one of their slogans is, “a most unusual gin”. And rightly so. It is one you might characterize as , “an acquired taste”, but I mean that in a positive sense. Given its spicy flavor, you wouldn’t think you were drinking a gin on first try. Yet given the fact that this particular gin is from Scotland – which, obviously, is known for its special brand of whiskey, why wouldn’t it have a stronger taste? The company’s marketing team has taken their game up a notch and prepared a booklet which not only details the specifics of their product, but also gives a history of gin as a sort of primer to understand why theirs is so distinct. Finally, this booklet contains a list of cocktail recipes that have been tried with Hendrick’s – unfortunately, the one that they gave out as samples during this tasting is *not* in the book! The marketing rep I spoke with simply called it The Elderflower Martini; it consisted of 2 ounces of Hendrick’s, half ounce of St. Germain, half ounce of Lillet White and a dash of Reagan’s bitters; it was shaken then strained into several small cups. The spiciness of the Hendrick’s mixed with the sweetness of the St. Germain worked well together and this wound up being an excellent cocktail to showcase just how gentle Hendrick’s could be, given the proper ingredients.
The next gin was the two-time champ from USQ’s previous Martini Bowls: Bulldog Gin. Having talked to some mixologists whose opinions I generally respect, Bulldog does not have a very favorable reputation among them; I would guess this is probably due to their marketing approach. Having met with the folks from Bulldog on several occasions, I do know that they prefer a very stylized approach in their marketing campaign – usually, this consists of a very sexual poster (usually implying S&M, with either a man or woman wearing a spiked dog collar), several smokin’ hot young babes at each appearance and a free T-shirt with every purchase. While I can understand the bartenders’ disdain, I do need to respectfully disagree. Having tried Bulldog at previous Martini Bowls – and even purchased a few bottles – I found its citrus taste quite appealing, enhanced even in the simplicity of a mixture with tonic water. Flavorful and refreshing, Bulldog would long be a favorite of mine when I can find it (otherwise, I’ll check for the Tanqueray).
What followed next was a distributor who worked for two different gin manufacturers – DH Krahn and Hayman’s. Krahn had a mere 6 botanicals in its gin (compared to the 24 of Bluecoat); the representative fixed an elixir of Domain Canton, lime juice, OJ and sugar with 2 oz. of Krahn’s shaken; after being strained, it was topped off with a splash of club soda (although he told me ginger ale could be substituted). A pleasant enough cocktail, I asked what it was called; he encouraged me to name it myself because he’d just come up with the recipe only moments ago! With the Hayman’s, however, he opted for a classic – The Martinez, with sweet vermouth and Luxardo. Nice, but certainly nothing out of the ordinary.
Returning to vodka, Karlsson’s Gold from Sweden was next. The first thing that stood out about this one was its price – a 750 mL bottle for less than $20! Its rep explained to me that the reason for this was due to a liquidation sale – in an effort to unload its current inventory prior to introducing a new release, the company reduced its price by almost half in order to introduce its product to vodka drinkers who had as yet not tried the brand. Karlsson’s Gold is distinguished by a strong potato aroma and flavor; in fact, their rep ground some fresh pepper into the sample she gave me, which really brought out the potato. The trick here, however, was to constantly swirl the tiny cup so that the pepper didn’t settle at the bottom; otherwise, she suggested, a better way of serving it would be to pour the vodka into a shaker of ice, grind the pepper into it, then shake vigorously before pouring. If you like a very “potatoey” vodka, then this one might be something to consider.
After that were Zodiak Vodka (from America’s potato capital Idaho) and Bols Genever (who, although branded as a gin, had its European rep maintain that it was most certainly *not* a gin!); neither, I’m afraid, was particularly interesting enough to mention in any detail in this review. Also, I’m afraid they may have suffered from the fact that they were placed towards the end of the line.
Nearing the end of the evening, I conferred with Tom, the manager, who co-ordinates these events. “Would Bulldog win yet again?”, I asked naively. Tom shook his head – “They’ve been dethroned!”, he declared. “Karlsson’s wins Martini Bowl 2009 hands down!”. Knowing that each participant’s product was showcased in a separate display because of a 10% discount off its regular price, I checked the inventory – clearly, Karlsson’s had sold more than anyone else on this evening. And at less than $20 (almost half price), how would people not be quick to snatch it up, especially in this economy?
Karlsson’s? Yeah, you win this year. But when the next release is distributed, would it beat Bulldog in 2010? We’ll have to wait a year to find out.