flavored vodka

Modern Spirits makes about nine “artisan vodkas.” They are based in Monrovia, California. We wanted to feature them because they tend to gravitate away from ordinary flavors and toward the unusual. Above is Vodka Infused with Oregon Black Truffle. And here is Celery Peppercorn. We don’t see any ordinary flavors in Modern’s portfolio of “sipping vodkas” which also includes these flavored vodkas:  Candied Ginger, Rose Petal, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Orange, Grapefruit Honey, Pear Lavender, Three Tea. But wait, there’s more. They also make “custom vodka” to your individual specifications, as part of their “Haute Custom Vodka” program. It works like this:

Haute is a new line of one-of-a-kind flavored spirits created by Modern Spirits for individual clients to match their unique passions, personalities and palates. Like custom perfume and couture clothing, Haute creations are designed exclusively for each client and are available for their sole purchase. … Upon receiving a commission, we follow a strict five-step process to produce each Haute creation … a personal interview to help us identify [the client’s] passions, personalities and palates. … We create up to three Haute samples that combine different base spirits and ingredients from around the world to fit each client’s flavor profile. … Submit the formula and labeling for government approval. … Create, bottle and package...

All of a sudden there are at least four cucumber flavored vodkas. All seem to be first approved during 2008. Why all of a sudden? Is cucumber especially refreshing or versatile? If so, why didn’t somebody do this decades ago, inasmuch as the venerable cuke has been around for quite some time? Maybe it’s an advance in flavor technology, finding a way to capture what would appear to be a rather delicate flavor. In an attempt to understand the rise of cucumber flavored vodka, we looked to Morgenthaler and The Intoxicologist and Alcademics but still we don’t understand why cucumber and why now. If we had to guess, we’d say it’s a tribute to Hendrick’s gin. It came out in 1999 and refers to an “‘unexpected’ infusion of cucumber and rose petals” on the back label. The producer’s chief chemist explains:

we didn’t know exactly how to introduce the cucumber into the blend. No one had ever put cucumbers in gin. We did a lot of experiments macerating and steam-distilling cucumbers before we came up with the right formula. And it was the same with the rose petals. … Hendrick’s is made in small batches using a 550-liter pot still from the 1880s. The cucumber and roses are added at the...

A large number of alcohol beverage products are made from and with flowers. Hops is the most common and obvious example. Yesterday we showed liqueurs made from elderflowers, and today we have a few spirits products made with the rose flower. Crispin’s Rose is made with macerated petals from heirloom roses, according to its front label. Pinky Vodka is another famous example, and it’s made with “violets, rose petals, and ten other botanicals.” Finally, here is Rose Petal Artisan Vodka (Vodka Infused with Rose Petals) made by Modern Spirits of Monrovia, CA. The producer says it is:  “Made with only the petals of three highly aromatic rose varieties that the founders grew in their back yard, Modern Spirits Rose Petal captures the full range of this beloved flower “from sweet floral to spicy herbal.”