Truth in vodka

New breed of infused spirits instills natural flavors with optimal effects

By Joe Gray
Tribune staff reporter

August 23, 2006

Apple, pineapple, melon, orange, coconut, mango, peach, strawberry, blueberry, cranberry--a veritable fruit basket of flavorings imbues the vodkas lining retail shelves and back bars.

Too bad so many of them taste more of a chemist's lab than of real ingredients. But there's a way to get around that: Look for the new infused spirits that draw flavor from fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and/or spices.

The idea isn't new. Centuries ago European monks plopped this and that into alcohol for what often started out as medicinal elixirs then morphed into beverages, according to Vincent Gasnier in "Drinks." Many of these concoctions survive today, such as Chartreuse. Other traditions led to drinks such as pear brandy.

But the old ways are getting more attention, in part as a reaction to what artisanal spirits-makers describe as "industrial vodka."

The development goes hand-in-hand with the growth of back-to-flavor movements among other foodstuffs and beverages. The results are showing up on retailer shelves in the Chicago area, where two new brands have arrived, Modern Spirits and 267 Infusions.

Survival tactics

Husband-and-wife team Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew plunged into the vodka ocean quite by accident.

Mathew, who doesn't much like the burn of spirits, used to suffer through long Sunday dinners with her husband's Armenian family, who sip vodka with every course--a cultural tradition. So Khosrovian set out to create a solution mixing up batches of infused vodkas. They were a hit, with Mathew as well as with family and friends.

From that beginning four years ago has grown a new line of handcrafted vodkas, Modern Spirits, with flavors such as celery peppercorn, black truffle and chocolate orange. The infusions are designed to complement a meal, and the proof level is cut to 70 to reduce the burn and bring out the flavors.

The seven Modern Spirits offerings are smooth and complex, tasting of their namesake ingredients, but in a more subtle version. The black truffle tastes of earth, caramel and a hint of garlic. The celery peppercorn has the green notes, but also a peppery finish. The grapefruit honey is aromatic, while the candied ginger displays an even headier ginger scent. And the chocolate orange smells of dark chocolate-covered, candied orange peel with flavor notes of rich chocolate and a hint of citrus.

Embracing the artisanal trend

Mathew describes their Monrovia, Calif.-based company as a reaction to what she terms "Big Vodka"--mass-produced flavored spirits. Their venture rides a trend of artisanal distilling. The handcrafted movement that has enveloped beer, cheese, wine and chocolates has taken hold among small distillers, Mathew said.

Indeed, spirits lovers and foodies are weary of homogenized flavor, said Bill Owens, founder of the American Distilling Institute, based in Hayward, Calif. "People are interested in anything handcrafted," Owens said. "It has happened in bread, in wine, in restaurants, everything has gone upscale.

"If it is handcrafted, and tastes better, it will sell," he said.

Khosrovian and Mathew, a self-described cooking-school dropout, make all the vodkas themselves, sourcing fruit and vegetables from local farmers and hiring a forager to find the truffles (this year they used 40 pounds of the fungi from Oregon). They taste a bit of every fruit that goes into every batch.

"I know it sounds sort of manic, but the reason is we don't have droplets," Mathew explained, referring to the extracts or chemical flavorings used in many flavored vodkas. "Someone has to taste it."

Another new brand, 267 Infusions, also California-based, infuses other spirits along with vodka, including rum and tequila, using only natural flavors. They have eight infusions: The vodkas include lemon, orange, cranberry, and olive and pearl onion. Rums include pineapple and mango. And the tequilas, chili pepper and orange.

We found those most true to their infusing ingredient were the tequila with chili peppers, the tequila with orange, and the rum with pineapple. (The olive and pearl onion vodka tasted like a bottled vodka martini and had appeal as an instant cocktail, but it lacked the freshness of making one's own.)

Either brand should be served chilled, on its own or in a cocktail, but not straight from the freezer. (Indeed, 267 cautions that their bottles might freeze). Temperatures that cold will dull the aromas--and these vodkas have aromas and flavors you definitely will want to savor.

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Do-it-yourself infusing tips

You can follow the example of artisanal vodkamakers by infusing your own spirits, which offers the advantage of flavors limited only by your imagination. And a new book can help.

In "Infused: 100+ Recipes for Infused Liqueurs and Cocktails" (Chronicle Books, $19.95), Susan Elia MacNeal captures the infusion trend, urging readers to make their own.

"Mass-produced and overpriced, flavored vodkas have proliferated, and drinks using them have become so widespread ... that it's easy to forget that flavored vodkas, as well as brandies, rums, tequilas and gins, have a long and distinguished history," she reminds us.

Stating her case for the simplicity of making infused spirits, MacNeal sets out a standard procedure that can be applied to about any fresh ingredient: Put the spirit in a clean glass container; add fresh fruit (or other flavoring agent or agents); steep (usually at least a month); strain, discarding solids; add sweetener (such as simple syrup), if you wish.

The recipes are variations on that theme, but MacNeal also offers some great hints:

- Vodka, rum, tequila (especially blanco) and brandy are the best choices; Cognac and Bourbon also are suggested.

- Use good-quality spirits but premium is not necessary. "Middle-of-the-road brands are more neutral tasting" and will carry flavors better, she writes.

- However, do use the best infusing ingredients you can find: in-season, organically and locally grown produce; freshest, best-quality spices and cocoas.

- Choose a glass container that leaves little air inside, because oxygen can cause fermentation (a bad word in infusing).

- Get creative when choosing sweeteners. Lavender honey, for example, would "add another note of complexity."

--J.G.

Apricot liqueur

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Standing time: 1 month
Yield: 750 milliliters

This recipe is adapted from "Infused: 100+ Recipes for Infused Liqueurs and Cocktails," by Susan Elia MacNeal. She suggests saving the spirits bottle, cleaning it and removing the label, then storing your finished infused vodka (or liqueur, as she calls them) inside. However, if you choose to add the syrup, you'll need a larger glass container. We also thought that adding some fresh grated ginger root with the apricots would be a great variation.

1 bottle (750 milliliters) vodka, brandy, rum or Cognac
15 to 18 fresh apricots, thoroughly washed
1/4 to 1 cup simple syrup, optional, see note

1. Pour vodka into a clean 2-quart glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Cut apricots in half, reserving pits. Slice apricots thinly; add apricots and pits to vodka, stirring well. Allow to infuse away from direct sunlight and intense heat for 1 month, shaking container a few times each week.

2. When satisfied with intensity of flavor, strain the liqueur through a fine strainer into a bowl; discard apricots and pits. Add sugar syrup to taste, if desired. Pour liqueur into the original bottle (or other glass container), using a funnel. Label with name of the infusion and date. Age for 1 month away from light and heat.

Note: To make simple syrup, heat 1 cup of water and 2 cups of sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Cool; refrigerate in a clean, sealed container up to 6 months.

Nutrition information per 1-ounce serving:

64 calories, 0% of calories from fat, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 0.3 mg sodium, 0 g fiber