Just Gin and Dessert Vodka


I’ve been sampling and mixing again. This time it was some unusually flavored vodkas. It involved some creativity, but it was worth it in the end.  Before I get to that, I’d like to share a piece of news that came across my inbox.  It looks like my favorite spirit is getting more popular in the Big Apple.

The New York City restaurant Oceana has unveiled a “Just Gin” program, created in partnership with Simon Ford. The former ambassador to Plymouth & Beefeater Gin put together a list for the restaurant that includes 40 varieties of gin.

Ford made sure the list included a selection of gins, including London Dry, Navy Strength and Genever. He also worked with Oceana to create four types of house-made tonic waters.  To make get more people to try the spirit, the restaurant has also put together a five-course tasting menu that is also available with gin cocktail pairings.

I’ve enjoyed almost all of Van Gogh’s vodkas, finding their flavors to be quite realistic. This was definitely the case with the PB&J. While peanut butter and jelly vodka may sound quite odd, it really wasn’t. I sampled it straight and with some grape juice. Both were very good and not overly sweet. If you’d like to get more creative, here’s a few recipes to try:

PB&J Frappe
Created by Cooking Channel’s Nadia G, Star of “Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen”

½ oz Van Gogh PB&J Vodka
1 cup of milk
½ cup of your favorite vanilla ice cream
½ banana
1 heaping tbsp. of smooth peanut butter
1 heaping tbsp. of raspberry jam/or fresh strawberries

Blend all ingredients together.
Serve in a tall glass with a banana slice or raspberry garnish.

Salted Chocolate Peanut Shooter
Created by Jonathan Pogash, The Cocktail Guru

¾ oz. Van Gogh PB&J Vodka
½ oz Van Gogh Rich Dark Chocolate
½ oz. Chocolate Milk

Shake ingredients together well with ice.
Strain into a shot glass.
Garnish with whipped cream and salt.
To drink, moisten surface of your skin, add salt, lick the slat and shoot the shot.

I also received two bottles from Three Olives, one Cake Vodka and one S’mores Vodka. I honestly didn’t find these flavors great straight, but I did try some recipes with them. The Campfire Martini was my favorite with the S’Mores.  

Campfire Martini
3 parts Three Olives S'mores Vodka
Crushed graham crackers
Chocolate syrup
Marshmallows

Dip the rim of martini glass in chocolate syrup and coat with crushed graham crackers.
Pour Three Olives S'mores into martini shaker filled with ice.
Shake and strain into martini glass.
Garnish with a skewer of three toasted marshmallows!

As for the Cake Vodka, it was not enough to stand on its own, but did add a bit more flavor to the S’mores in the Want S’more Cake recipe.

Want S’more Cake
1 Part Three Olives S’mores Vodka
1 Part Three Olives Cake Vodka
Whipped cream
Graham cracker

Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice.
Shake vigorously.
Strain into a shot glass.
Garnish with whipped cream and a graham cracker.

Photos of Oceana by Paul Johnson

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cheers to the Holidays

Image
The holidays are often a time for me to try some interesting spirits, new and old. This year is no different. Rumchata options… Rumchata has been a favorite of mine since it first hit the market. I love cordials that you don’t have to get too creative with if you aren’t in the mood. I love it straight over ice, but you can mix it with just about anything. They even sell a gift box that includes shot glasses so you can measure perfectly. One of the options for Rumchata is to put it in your coffee and the company has no made that even easier with Rumchata Creamer. This is not a flavored creamer, it has the real liquor in it and it will make your coffee into a major treat. Another cordial to enjoy… I wasn’t sure what to expect from Tippy Cow Peppermint Bark , but it was a perfect mix of sweet, creamy and minty, without too much of any of those.  My friends devoured the mini bottles (great for picnics) chilled. I managed to put one aside to have with my
Read more

An Assortment of Goodies for your Inside and Out

Image
A lot of products have come in the last month or two. I’m catching up as fast as I can, but I always want to try something before I promote. When it comes to health and beauty products, that means trying a few times. As always, my policy that is I write about the good things I want to pass along. Anyone who sends products for sampling knows that it will only be written about if I like it. That goes the same for my Amazon Influencer page .  Hello, Miss Spa… I love finding good skin care that I can buy (for a reasonable price) in my local drugstore. Miss Spa sent me two products that are going to continue to be part of my beauty routine. Hydration Hookup is a “skin quenching serum.” It contains Hydraulic Acid and CoQ10. I used it on my face for two weeks and I really like the results. Though I didn’t feel it hydrating enough for my face, a serum should be followed by a moisturizer and I just made it a richer one for my dry skin. What I did see was that my skin was a
Read more

Wine, Spirits and Coffee (Together)

Image
I have never received as much coffee before as I have in the past two months. The interesting thing is that there is a spirited theme to all of it. I also had a bit of wine in the mix, as well as a few tasty surprises. Fruity deliciousness… Maison Ferrand makes Mathilde fruit liqueurs that are handcrafted with ripe fruit and French spirits. I received two bottles to try out and they were exceptional. The Mathilde Raspberry reminded me of Chambord, but it’s not quite as thick and is even more filled with raspberry flavor. I enjoyed sipping it over ice. It would be a wonderful addition to any cocktail (definitely a martini), hot chocolate, or coffee. The Mathilde Peach is delicious and reminded me more of a summer day with a lighter cocktail or mixed with club soda . I’d also love this in a frozen drink, such as a daiquiri or margarita. French wine launch… I wasn’t able to make the official tasting, but I still got to sample the launch of LGV wines . These French wines are
Read more