Mix It Up A Little

by Angelika Kazakaitis, Senior Planner

I always wanted to make a Vodka Soda my go-to drink, but unfortunately, I was never strong enough to drink a stiff cocktail. I often disguised the taste of hard alcohol with cranberry juice or a fruity soda, until one day, I was introduced to flavored vodka. It was then when discovered that I had options (all of them low calorie too)!

I started experimenting with Stoli Vodka’s – Vanilla, Raspberry, Peach, and recently Blueberry. They all taste great with soda water and even Red Bull. They add a nice sweet kick to any mixture. Next, I tried Three Olives Cherry Vodka – I also mixed this with soda water and to my delight, this concoction tastes just like a Cherry 7-Up. Now when I go out, I don’t need a go-to drink. Experiencing new flavors makes the night much more interesting.

Although a variety of flavors have always been around in the world of spirits, brands are now taking more risks – they’re expanding their flavor assets and are coming up with unique flavor creations that make consumers curious to try their products and push competitors to come up with something even more exotic or unheard of. Here are just a few examples:

Bacon-Infused Vodka - Bacon is a popular ingredient in many recipes, but who would ever think of adding it to vodka? Turns out its meaty and peppery taste is great for Bloody Mary’s.

Three Olives Bubble Gum Vodka – Bubble Gum is a flavor well known in the land of popsicles, lollipops, and cotton candy, but is brand new to the world of vodka. Anyone serving this liquor to friends can really look like a trendsetter.

Absolut Boston – People on Facebook and Twitter are chatting about Absolut flavors specifically created to represent cities around the country. Absolut Boston uses fresh ingredients such as black tea and elderflower to get consumer’s taste buds tingling.

Beyond these flavors, there are many to watch out for. Keep your eye out for floral and fruit combinations as well as sugar and spice mixtures. Before you know it, you may be enjoying a cocktail or even a sorbet or sports drink that tastes like Blueberry Lavender, Strawberry Passionflower, Orange Marigold, or even Chocolate Cinnamon and Rosemary Lime.

Source: http://www.wildflavors.com/?page_id=B1C4B65F-CF1C-2465-1E302B5669E572D1