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Archive for the ‘Flavoured Vodka’ Category

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Christmas Cocktail Bazaar: Orange & Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 25, 2018

Although it will be Autumn until December 21, the truth is that up here in Canada, the first winter snowfalls arrived in mid-October and the cold weather settled in early in November. This means that it is time to switch up my Cocktail Bazaar with servings that reflect the coming of the cooler Christmas Season. And as this much cooler weather arrives, it is not unusual for me to sip on a nice cup of hot chocolate in the evening.

Here is a delicious recipe which mixes a steaming cup of Hot Chocolate with Smirnoff Peppermint Twist and a dollop of Triple Sec. The indulgence is the creation of Kendra Darling (Simply Darrling) and it is a wonderful seasonal addition to my Cocktail Bazaar.

The serving is perfect for the upcoming Christmas Season when friends and family gather.

Orange & Peppermint Hot Chocolate

1 oz Smirnoff Peppermint Twist
1/2 oz Triple Sec
8 oz Hot Chocolate
Whipped Cream with Caramel Drizzle
Candied Orange Peel

Combine Hot Chocolate, Triple Sec, and Smirnoff Peppermint Twist in a large mug
Stir to mix
Top with Whipped Cream and Caramel Drizzle
Garnish with a strip of Candied Orange Peel

Enjoy Responsibly!

If you are interested in more of my cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

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Smirnoff Peppermint Twist is a limited seasonal offering from Smirnoff Co. bottled at 30% alcohol by volume. It features a ‘scratch and sniff’ bottle allowing you to enjoy the seasonal scent of peppermint and candy cane before you even open the bottle. You may read my full review of this flavoured vodka here:

Review: Smirnoff Peppermint Twist

” … The peppermint flavoured vodka is perhaps a touch on the sweet side, then again it is the flavours of peppermint and candy cane which are featured and the spirit would not be a true holiday spirit if it did not accurately reflect this sweetness …”

I hope you enjoy the review, Chimo!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Flavoured Vodka, Vodka | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Christmas Cocktail Bazaar: Orange & Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Review: Smirnoff Moscow Mule

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 21, 2018

The Moscow Mule is a popular vodka cocktail which mixes Vodka (often Smirnoff Vodka is called for specifically) and Ginger Beer with a small amount of lemon or lime juice. The origins of the cocktail are somewhat obscured with different ‘origin stories’ placing the first named ‘Moscow Mule’ in different locations ranging from Manhattan, New York to Hollywood, Los Angeles.

The most popular story is that in 1941, three friends, John A. Morgan, President of Cock ‘n’ Bull Products (know by his friends as Jack) which produced a brand name ginger beer (also the owner of the Hollywood Cock ‘n’ Bull Restaurant), John G. Martin, President of G.F. Heublein Brothers Inc. and Rudolph Kunett, President of Pierre Smirnoff (which was Heublein’s vodka division) were in the Chatham Hotel and they began to experiment with Morgan’s Cock ‘n’ Bull ginger beer and Kunett’s Smirnoff Vodka served with a twist of lemon juice. (source:New York Herald Tribune, 1948)

Whether it was introduced at the time, or the idea arrived afterwards, the Moscow mule quickly became associated with a unique serving vessel, a copper mug. The introduction of the copper mug is usually attributed to Russian immigrant, Sophie Berezinski who apparently arrived in North America with 2000 copper mugs which had been manufactured by her father in a copper factory in Russia known as the Moscow Copper Co.. She apparently walked into John Martin’s Cock ‘n’ Bull Pub in Los Angeles, where Jack Morgan and John Martin where either introducing the cocktail to the Sunset Strip (or perhaps this is really where the cocktail was invented) and the idea to serve the mixed drink in Sofie’s copper mugs was born (source: Moscow Copper Co – The Story of the Moscow Mule).

Recently, Smirnoff in a nod to its association to the original Moscow Mule, introduced their Ginger and Lime infuse Moscow Mule (flavoured vodka). According to the folks at Smirnoff the spirit (bottled at 30 % alcohol by volume) is a ready-to-mix combination of zesty ginger and tangy lime flavors which is meant to be mixed with ginger-ale (or ginger beer).

Here is a link to my full review of this new (and highly recommended ready-to-mix serving from Smirnoff:

Review: Smirnoff Moscow Mule

” … The lime and ginger infused vodka is not supposed to be sipped neat; but when I did so I was quite pleased with the lightly sweet lime and ginger flavour I encountered. I added a cube of ice and frankly I could sip and enjoy this rather easily …”

Please enjoy my review, Chimo!

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Review: Summer Love Spiced Pear Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 17, 2018

This past fall at the Rocky Mountain Food and Wine Show I met, Mike Stanfield, Founder of Starr Distilling Co. based in Calgary Alberta. He was presenting his new Summer Love Vodka flavours, Raspberry and Peach. We struck up a conversation about the burgeoning Micro distilling industry in Alberta, and I wanted to know his story.

Mike told me that his venture started as a hobby making Limoncello and Coffee Liqueurs in his basement to share with friends. His repertoire expanded to making fruit infusions and letting them sit for months to absorb flavor and color. Mike said that he never intended to make spirits commercially, he just enjoyed serving his creations at dinner parties sending his friends home a little happier than when they arrived.

Mike eventually found SRL Global Distillers and a business relationship was forged. They currently produce his Summer Love Raspberry and Spiced Pear Vodkas which he is marketing in Alberta. The base vodka for these spirits is distilled 5 times and filtered to be a neutral spirit. Real fruit from British Colombia is used to create his flavours.

Each bottle of Summer Love Spiced Pear Vodka is produced using more than a pound of BC pears combined with the warm flavour of real cinnamon bark. The spirit is bottled at 34.6% alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Summer Love Spiced Pear Vodka

“… When I took my first sip, I decided that the scents and smells I encountered in the breezes above the glass gave a true representation of the overall flavour. I tasted heated cinnamon immediately, and that same light sweetness of cane sugar. The flavour of pears came through as well; but the fruit is definitely taking a backseat to the cinnamon …”

Please enjoy my review which includes my recommended cocktail, the Summer Love Mule.

Posted in Flavoured Vodka, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Summer Love Spiced Pear Vodka

Review: Summer Love Raspberry Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 11, 2018

This past fall at the Rocky Mountain Food and Wine Show I met, Mike Stanfield, Founder of Starr Distilling Co. based in Calgary Alberta. He was presenting his new Summer Love Vodka flavours, Raspberry and Peach. We struck up a conversation about the burgeoning Micro distilling industry in Alberta, and I wanted to know his story.

Mike told me that his venture started as a hobby making Limoncello and Coffee Liqueurs in his basement to share with friends. His repertoire expanded to making fruit infusions and letting them sit for months to absorb flavor and color. Mike said that he never intended to make spirits commercially, he just enjoyed serving his creations at dinner parties sending his friends home a little happier than when they arrived.

Mike eventually found SRL Global Distillers and a business relationship was forged. They currently produce his Summer Love Raspberry and Spiced Pear Vodkas which he is marketing in Alberta. The base vodka for these spirits is distilled 5 times and filtered to be a neutral spirit. Real fruit from British Colombia is used to create his flavours.

Summer Love Raspberry Vodka is produced using more than a pound of real raspberries in every bottle! It features the both the tart and the sweet flavour of fresh-picked British Columbia raspberries.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Summer Love Raspberry Vodka

“… Mike promised me both the tart and the sweet flavour of fresh-picked British Columbia raspberries. I am happy to say that the flavour I encountered when I took my first sip was exactly as described. If any sugar has been added to sweeten the flavour, that sweetness has been added judiciously which makes this about as good a representation of real raspberry fruit as I have tasted in a flavoured spirit …”

Please enjoy my review which concludes with a nice cocktail suggestion, my Cran-Raspberry Cosmopolitan.

Chimo!

Posted in Flavoured Vodka, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Summer Love Raspberry Vodka

Last Mountain Sweet Tea Flavoured Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 12, 2017

A few of my readers have been asking lately why I have curtailed my review publications this summer. As well my publication schedule has become somewhat erratic. The delays and lack of publications were a result of a lengthy hospital stay for a family member which created a bit on an upheaval. I want to let everyone know that things should be getting back to normal very soon.

One of the spirit samples which became jammed up in my review queue is the Last Mountain Sweet Tea Flavoured Vodka from Saskatchewan’s first micro-distillery, in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, the Last Mountain Distillery.

Last Mountain Sweet Tea Flavoured Vodka is made using all natural ingredients including real tea freshly brewed for each batch. It is bottled at 35.2% alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to my long overdue review:

Last Mountain Sweet Tea Flavoured Vodka

“… When I brought it to my nose I was pleasantly surprised to find tell-tale traces of honey in the air rather than sugar syrup. The all natural ingredients advertised thus may include fresh honey as well as freshly made tea …”

Please enjoy the review and stay tuned for more.

Chimo!

Posted in Flavoured Vodka, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

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