Welcome to the New Year! I’m kicking it off with a period of restaurant hibernation that’s giving me a little time to work on all the other things I deign to work on. Not an altogether welcome way to ring in 2021, but fine beside. The year’s still shaping up to be one of growth and productivity, if we remain focused and drive ahead! That part’s exciting.
We begin therefore with a continuation of the Home Bartending blog series! Why combine vodka and agave spirits into one combined post? Well, I only have a few bottles of each kicking around, and by the nature of vodka there wasn’t going to be a lot of notes. Not that I’m entirely in the camp that suggests vodka is without certain distinctions, but that there will just naturally be less of them here. Agave spirits likewise, though I enjoy in certain settings, are not something I would say I consume regularly enough to warrant a larger collection (although, that should change, and we’re working on it). But, as a follow-up to vodka, tequila and mezcal provide a wonderful balance in flavor and intensity. So, here we are.
Always remember to drink responsibly!
· Tito’s Handmade Vodka
o What is it? It’s Tito’s, America’s proudest “handmade” vodka. At the production levels they’re doing we can all be a little suspect into how much that claim’s true, but there you are. It claims to be distilled from corn in pot stills six times, made in Texas, and I think it’s now the best-selling spirit in America.
o Why do I have it? Also because it’s Tito’s. Honestly, it bounces between this as Stolichnaya on my bar, but I happened to have Tito’s on hand while this was being written.
o What’s it like? A little isopropyl on the nose, not going to lie. Behind that, some sweet grain, a little vanilla. Kind of (topical) hand sanitizer-y. Medium weight on the palate, a hint of sweetness, some noticeable grain flavor, and detectable alcohol felt in nose and finish.
o What do I use it for? This is my not-looking-to-impress mixing vodka. Disappears readily into a range of things, fairly price-attractive, and it doesn’t make me hate myself. Wide range of drinks.
· St. Augustine Florida Cane Vodka
o What is it? A vodka produced by St. Augustine Distillery, which says it’s distilled from cane neutral story spirit and 100% Florida-grown sugarcane. I read somewhere that they still make their cuts by hand, which is cool.
o Why do I have it? Another fun piece of nostalgia from my Florida days.
o What’s it like? An herbaceous, grassy kind of nose. There’s a nice pepperiness, and only a hint of sweetness. It’s a light, slightly sharp palate, the grassiness returns, and there’s a prickly feeling on the finish. The cane character shows up well.
o What do I use it for? It’s a unique vodka from outside of my current home region. I like putting it into cocktails for people who are unfamiliar with it, and trying to detect its differences.
· Belvedere Vodka
o What is it? Belvedere bills itself as a super-premium vodka distilled from Polish Dankowskie rye in a four-column still process in one of the world’s oldest Distilleries, since 1910 if I remember right.
o Why do I have it? It’s a beautiful premium vodka to keep around, and it holds up well in cocktails.
o What’s it like? The nose is… “darker.” There’s a kind of doughy quality to it, and a little spice. Big, fresh black pepper notes. The palate is rich and grainy, with good silkiness. Barely a prickle or burn, bit of an earthy finish.
o What do I use it for? The weight and spice of this make it nice in Vespers, although I also have it for those who prefer it in martinis (on the rare instances I take them dirty, I use Belvedere).
· Chopin Potato Vodka
o What is it? Polish potato vodka, distilled four time from potatoes “mostly grown within 25km of the distillery”! Somewhere I read it’s one of the most awarded vodkas in the world, if not the most? Interesting to note is that there are no flavored vodkas in Chopin’s line.
o Why do I have it? This is my “house” vodka. I keep a bottle on hand at all times, and it is used for most things where I actually want the vodka to express itself.
o What’s it like? Very mild nose, a hint of cream and vanilla but nothing else. The palate itself is sweet, with a little bit of a marshmallow character and some more vanilla. But it’s also rich, silky, and smooth. Clean, warm finish.
o What do I use it for? Martinis and bloodys, absolutely. Also I will chill this down and sip neat when I desire.
· Milagro Silver Tequila
o What is it? A silver tequila produced by Milagro from its 100% estate-grown blue weber agave. It’s triple distilled.
o Why do I have it? A house mixing tequila, one of those to always have on hand.
o What’s it like? An overall mild nose. Good pepper, a herbal note running through, some detectable vegetal notes and alcohol. Decent mouthful, some vanilla in with the pepper, not particularly assertive in any one way.
o What do I use it for? Most tequila drinks, I like it in palomas a lot.
· Mala Idea Espadin Mezcal
o What is it? A mezcal made from agave Espadin, that this bottling says .are 10 years old Mala Idea’s agave are all cooked in stone, fermented in open-air, and distilled in copper.
o Why do I have it? This would be my house mezcal, but I feel like that’s a challenge to claim in such a diverse category.
o What’s it like? Sweet smoky nose, some bitter chocolate aromas mixed with barbecue spice. Spicy, vegetable palate, with a hint of sweetness, campfire smoke, and some espresso.
o What do I use it for? This is my go to for mezcal riffs on tequila drinks, especially mezcal margaritas.
· Bozal Ensamble Mezcal
o What is it? A mezcal made from a combination of maguey Espadin and wild maguey Barril and Mexicano.
o Why do I have it? This one I bought intentionally based on reading about it, and was not disappointed!
o What’s it like? Savory smokey qualities on the nose, big on pepper and some dark fruit, burnt sugar, and culinary spices. Smoke is notably assertive on the palate,
o What do I use it for? Mainly mixing to play with mezcal in original cocktails, as its savory-smokiness lends itself more towards creation than riffing.
· Cazul 100 Anejo Tequila
o What is it? An anejo tequila produced by La Cofradia distillery in Jalisco, a distillery that produces a range of bottlings. Aged for 24 months in oak barrels.
o Why do I have it? I wanted to have an anejo on hand and it’s admittedly a category I am not super familiar with.
o What’s it like? Pepper and cinnamon on the nose, a little sweet and faintly smokey, with some vanilla, burnt sugar, and other nice oak aromas. The palate is remiscient of red hots, candied cinnamon, with good spice, a little sweetness, and a menthol-like character dominating. A decent finish, on the smoother side, that plays well with the spiced notes.
o What do I use it for? Sipping, or for playing in cocktails.