Man Up! LiV Sorbetta Strawberry Vodka Martini.

If you haven’t been enticed by flavored spirits whether it be you don’t enjoy the overly sweet taste that tends to accompany them or you simply feel they’re not “Manly” enough, this particular spirit and cocktail might change your mind. So man up, and read on…

I’ve been a huge fan of spirits in the 20+ years of my drinking life. My tastes have changed through those years from swigging down Old Crow at adolescent parties to sipping Pappy Van Winkle in my study. During the turbulent times vodka had been that clear spirit you either took shots of or used blindly as a mixer in some concoction your friends would make. I owe many harrowing mornings to that grainy spirit although in reality it was the cheap sugared mixtures that wreaked havoc within me upon my midafternoon awakenings.  As a result unfairly I might add, my tastes drifted to the darker spirits and all but shunned the vodkas of my yesteryear. It’s these days that I’ve returned to the product that has more taste and versatility then I had previously experienced.

Enter premium vodka; Long Island Distillers which was made famous for their LiV vodka made from Long Island potatoes and local ingredients caught my eye not long ago. After tasting their vodka which had such depth and body to it I was hooked. Richard Stabile president of Long Island Distillers made me a believer.  I now had a new found appreciation for vodka and its craft as a handmade quality product.  After touting the virtues to all that would listen and drink I was now a premium vodka advocate. After thinking I had conquered the spirits world completely Richard threw me for a loop with his flavored line of premium vodkas.

Currently Long Island Distillers produces a series of natural ingredient flavored vodkas. I’m not talking about your artificially manufactured “flavorings” in vodka that so many companies pump out ad nausem; I’m talking about natural real ingredients. This is where LiV Sorbetta Strawberry Vodka comes in. Ingredients on bottle; Vodka, Fresh Strawberries, Sugar. Simple. All real, all natural. The result is a refreshing vodka with just the right balance of spirit meets ripe fruits. Here are some of my tastings straight and as a cocktail. Enjoy!

LiV Sorbetta Strawberry Vodka straight:

I always like to taste a spirit I’ve never had straight. No ice, no mixing, just the booze. I need to establish a baseline of its taste without anything to dilute or take away from its natural state. This helps me in developing a “flavor recall” for when it’s mixed or I drink another version of the product.

Nose: Sweet wild berry upfront.

Taste: This vodka starts off with a blast of fresh strawberry sweetness followed by a weighty mouthfeel of the potato vodka itself and vanilla notes. The finish lingers with a hint of wild strawberry flavor. With the second sip the sweetness is less pronounced while still keeping that crisp strawberry taste.  Midway it develops into a cool aromatic spirit finishing with those subtly sweet wild strawberries. Unlike artificially flavored spirits that are sugary-sweet and one dimensional throughout, this vodka has complexity. Very pleasant and refreshing.

To keep it manly I decided to make a martini and drink it as a cocktail. My mixology skills are limited in that making a mixed drink to me is usually putting a single ice cube into my bourbon. I can however follow a martini recipe rather well. Here is the recipe I followed for those that would like to try it:

Manly LiV Strawberry Vodka Martini

Ingredients:

Ice

1 ounce simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water, heated, mixed, then cooled)

2 ounces LiV Sorbetta Strawberry vodka

½ oz. Dry Vermouth (Boissiere Extra Dry, Italy)

Combine ingredients and 4 ice cubes in a shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass.

Nose: A hint of fresh picked ripe strawberries and slight citrus/ floral notes from the vermouth.

Taste: The first sip brings the vodka upfront with an invigorating strawberry flavor that feels like biting into freshly picked fruit. Dryness of the vermouth comes into play and some floral alcohol moves forward. This martini delivers sweet ripened berries and a crisp angular finish. The chill from the shaken ice really gives a nice aroma to the cocktail. Each sip gave me a perfect balance of alcohol and fruit flavor. Delicious. So man up! Try LiV Sorbetta Strawberry Vodka and while away a sunny afternoon in style gentlemen. Cheers!