To the Boudoir

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Ms. Boozenik and I created a romantic dessert cocktail, somewhat reminiscent of a dark chocolate cherry truffle with a pinch of sea salt.

Dirty as the Gulf of Mexico Martini

Tasting New Deal Distillery’s Hot Monkey Pepper Vodka caused me to try to create what I think is a HDirty as the Gulf of Mexico. Here’s an off-the-cuff recipe that we camp up with and enjoyed last night. All the better if the olives are stuffed with garlic or cheese to further “pollute” the drink.

Hot Monkey

Hot Monkey vodka has a slight nose of hot peppers at first whiff. Being a bit of a hot pepper connoisseur, it reminds me of a Sandia or some other green chile. But it’s only a slight nose. Tasting it, not so slight. POW!

Mud Puddle – The Spirit of Chocolate

Mud Puddle, by New Deal Distillery, has a fairly strong aroma of cocoa with a hint of cherry that sometimes seems to accompany the darkest of chocolates. There’s no sweetness to the nose. Just the flavors of bittersweet cocoa and fruit.

Portland 88 Vodka

I’m not a real fan of this one. It’s a bit hot and a tad harsh, but for an extra proof vodka, I suppose that is to be expected. This is obviously meant for mixing where some of that nose and heat will be mellowed. Or for folks who are there for the proof alone. $19.95 […]

New Deal Vodka

New Deal Vodka, by New Deal Distillery, has an almost oily and full feel, with herbal or some other vegetable essence, showing that it wasn’t so over-distilled to become a bland, weaker Everclear, like some poorer vodkas. It does have a strong alcohol nose, so I’d not favor it in a vodka martini. But, it should […]