Here's a statistic: Modern Spirits artisan offerings are the most popular vodkas at pairing dinners nationwide. And for a simple reason. Our vodkas are versatile and go well with food, whether served in a cocktail or neat. And no other company does what we do.

It's no wonder we're playing the "main room," The James Beard House, on Monday, September 24. Their Dir. of House Programming, Izabela Wojcik, recently noted, "In the last few years we’ve witnessed a tremendous growth in hand-crafted and infused spirits, in cocktail menus, and a real excitement and interest on the part of the consumer. It's a natural fit for the James Beard House to stage an exemplary dinner with a top notch chef who creates a menu revolving around artisan vodka."

This is one statistic we're happy to represent.

September Events

Daily
Pairing Dinner at
The Raymond (Pasadena)

Sun., Sept. 9  |  5:00 - 9:00pm

Monrovia Food, Wine & Jazz Fest  (Monrovia, CA)

Fri., Sept. 14 |  7:00pm

Small-plate Tasting Dinner at The Raymond (Pasadena)

Wed., Sept. 19  |  4:00 - 12:00pm

MS Martini Night at Irises (Plattsburgh, NY)

Wed., Sept. 19  |  3:30 - 6:30pm

Vodka Sampling at Morrell (NYC)

Mon.  Sept. 24  |  7 pm

Vodka Pairing Dinner at the James Beard House (NYC)

Notes

Hail Savory Cocktails!

Bar chefs, mixologists and plain old bartenders are reaching past "sweet & sour" to salty and bitter -- the other two basic tastes -- to help create savory cocktails.

And thank goodness! (Not everyone has a sweet tooth.) Our cross-country sleuthing has unearthed a love for black pepper, chili powder, sea salt, Parmesan,  even veal stock!

In this issue, we're featuring three that have met our lips in the last few weeks. Our first recipe, Au Jus -- from FOMS (friend of Modern Spirits), Larry Nicola of Nic's Beverly Hills -- will be paired with the fourth course, a T-bone of lamb, at our upcoming James Beard dinner.

If you have a favorite savory cocktail and it's not a Bloody Mary, do tell!

DIY Cocktail | Au Jus
Created by Larry Nicola, Chef & Owner | Nic's (Beverly Hills)

This cocktail preparation is  balanced and rich without being heavy. It's a nice option to a glass of wine if you're having grilled or roasted red meat. Balances salty, sweet, bitter and umami (meatiness or the proposed fifth taste) in a mouth-watering gastro cocktail.

DIY Cocktail | Type MS Rocket Fuel
Created by Bill Yorks, spirits director at Quality Wine & Spirits, our Georgia distributor

First off, Bill is a cocktailian known to spend days tweaking every variable to perfect a single drink. So when he emailed us this recipe, we knew we were in for a treat. And then we tried it...and fell off of our chairs. Balances bitter, sweet and sour. Enjoy during the last hot days of 2007!

DIY Cocktail | Bloodless Mary
Created at  Old Arch Restaurant (Lodi, Calif.)

As some of you know, we and other cocktailians have previously attempted to deconstruct this hallmark of the savory cocktail. But Old Arch Restaurant's Bloodless Mary takes it to a whole new level by introducing a dry/wet element to the mix. Also, since the drink is transparent, there's an additional "what the...oh, cool" factor at play. Balances salty, bitter, sour and sweet!