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 As I have mentioned time and again, I tend to be a “purist” when it comes to drinking vodka. I like it cold and neat, although I won’t turn my nose up at a well made martini! I remember a few years back sitting at a restaurant bar late in the evening with a friend sampling all the flavored vodkas, gratis the bartender. It was a fruit contest of apple, cherry, orange, lemon, tangerine and peach. Nothing tasted real and most of it was very sweet and syrupy. I was forever cured of wanting any flavored vodka again.  But last evening, I tried American-Made Zodiac Black Cherry Vodka. I reviewed their Zodiac Original potato vodka about a year ago and was very impressed with it. You can read the review at http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2014/11/day-132.html. So I was quite anxious to taste their newest product. Zodiac Black Cherry Vodka is handcrafted potato vodka, made with natural cherry flavors using 100% locally sourced ingredients in Idaho. The vodka is distilled once and is 70 proof. The color was clear with subtle notes of maraschino cherry and vanilla on the nose. The aromas segued onto the palate giving a little more cherry and heat on the finish. It was not cloyingly sweet, as most fruit flavored vodkas tend to be. It was smooth and easy to drink straight. This vodka would make a great mixer in a cocktail and I’m definitely going to try a Black Cherry Martini with a dash of lemon juice. Yum! www.zodiacvodka.com Have a great Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina  Tis the day before Thanksgiving and I’m checking off my list of things to do. I have already made the artichoke dip and Key Lime Pie. The majority of dishes will be made tomorrow morning while the turkey is roasting. I have a Burgundy, Rosé and Chardonnay chilling in the refrigerator and Pinot Noir sitting on the table.  My famous Key Lime Pie! Very yummy!  Last evening I got together with a friend for a pre holiday drink. He poured us ice cold Bootlegger 21 Vodka from the Prohibition Distillery in Roscoe, NY. Brian Facquet and John F.K. Walsh own the distillery. The vodka is 80 proof, 100% corn based and is distilled six times. It was sweet on the nose and carried through to the palate. I found it to be very smooth and clean. They also make gin and bourbon. http://www.prohibitiondistillery.com/ Okay…back to cooking and cleaning!
Happy Wednesday! Cheers! Penina Knowing how much I love to taste “new” vodkas, the other evening my friend introduced me to vodka that I had never heard of.  Snow Queen Vodka is produced in Kazakhstan using organic wheat and sand filtered artesian spring water from the foothills of the Himalayas. The vodka is distilled five times with Kazakh birch charcoal. Snow Queen was launched in London in 2004 and the US in 2006. It has won numerous awards including Gold Medal winner and Vodka Trophy at the International Spirits Challenge 2014. Needless to say, the bottle is beautiful! The nose carried a hint of wheat and nuts. The palate offered a very clean and creamy texture with traces of vanilla. The finish was long with lots of cream and a hint of pepper. It was quite refreshing and ever so smooth. Snow Queen is 80 proof and although I like to drink vodka “neat”, it would also make a great Snow Queen martini or a go to ingredient in cocktails. It would also make a lovely gift for the holidays! http://www.snowqueenvodka.com 
I know that I promised a great side dish recipe for the holiday table and it will be posted tomorrow!
Have a great Wednesday! Cheers! Penina  Friday turned into a serendipity day…my favorite kind! After meeting with a client in the morning, I was all set to work on some projects. However, a phone call from a friend veered me in another direction and I was off on an adventure that included a beautiful fall ride, lunch and wine.  We each had a glass of 2012 Navarro Vineyards “Mendocino” Chardonnay with our lunch. The color was pale straw with pear, honeysuckle, and a hint of citrus on the nose. The palate offered pear, oak, apple and lemon. The wine was crisp with a medium finish and paired nicely with the crab cakes and salad. http://www.navarrowine.com  As I was finally making my way home, another friend called to invite me over for a quick drink of Zodiac Vodka. Trust me…I only had a sip or two, but the vodka was good! It seemed to have more “perfume” on the palate than I recall from my last review, but it was delicious and it is quite different from most vodka that I’ve tasted. I reviewed it on Day 132, 11/11/2014. Here is the review from one year ago: Day 132 on 11/11/2014 The name of the vodka is Zodiac…American-Made in Idaho. It is one of the better potato vodkas that I have had! They originally launched 15 years ago and then re-launched this past October. The vodka is made with regionally sourced potatoes and water from the Snake River Aquifer that runs beneath the distillery. It had a slightly sweet and much cleaner smell than grain vodka. The sweetness extended into the taste, which again, was clean and very smooth. It had a very pleasant aftertaste. Zodiac is also 100% gluten-free! I’m definitely going to add Zodiac to my freezer collection! http://zodiacspirits.com Happy Saturday!
Cheers! Penina  After a day filled with putting out “mini” fires and successfully keeping deals on the table, I looked forward to the thought of a relaxing evening at home, a glass of wine, a good movie and an early bedtime.  However, towards the end of the day, I received a phone call from a friend to come join him and a few others for drinks and food. I just couldn’t say no!  My glass of “wine” turned into Grey Goose on the rocks. My relaxation took the form of easy conversation and my friends were riotously entertaining. We enjoyed a delicious meal and then it was time for me to go home. I was still hoping for that early bedtime.  Although I have no wine reviews today, I’m quite happy with how Wednesday turned out! Sometimes it’s not about a particular bottle of wine, spirit or food that makes the experience so special or memorable. I think that some of the time it is truly about who you share the experience with that makes it all the more palatable. Happy Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  It has been quite a challenge dealing with the high heat and humidity for the last few days. There seems to be no let up.  A few nights ago, I planned a “deck party”. However, with the soaring temperatures, I decided to move it indoors where the central air conditioning was blasting! Instead of wine, friends gravitated towards drinks with ice cubes. The “go to” drink of the evening was my invention of vodka mixed with orange juice and pure pomegranate juice. I guess you could say it was my version of a tequila sunrise. I’m calling it the “the Vodka Sunset! In addition to drinks, I kept the fare light, but satisfying. I prepared a platter of fresh mozzarella with my homegrown tomatoes and basil. The shrimp was cold and succulent with a tangy sauce. I also served a delicious chopped salad, finger sandwiches and fresh fruit salad. Good friends, music and the perfect lighting were the final ingredients for a wonderful indoor summer garden party! Have a great Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  Thunder in the distance and threatening skies couldn’t keep me home last night. I met some friends for a quick bite and a drink at Jean-Georges’ Restaurant.  We wanted to shake things up a little bit and order some fun drinks. I opted for the Vodka Thyme Lemonade. My friends had Ginger Margaritas and Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Passion-Chili. It was festive and quite enjoyable.  The drinks at Jean-George are always interesting. He enhances the classic cocktail with seasonal ingredients and interesting house-made syrups. Some of the cocktail recipes can be found on line. Others remain a mystery, such as the Maker’s Mark Bourbon cocktail. The cocktail menu is very eclectic and inviting! http://www.jean-georges.com Happy Monday!
Cheers! Penina If you’ve been following my blog, you know by now that I’m basically a purist when it comes to drinking vodka. Yes, I have strayed now and then to taste some very interesting cocktails. And, last night I made another exception.  My friend was in “mixology” mode and decided to make me a lemon vodka martini. He had prepared simple syrup a few days prior, which impressed me. Actually, it’s not a bad idea to keep a container of simple syrup in the refrigerator to have on hand for cocktails. I make a variation of it for my hummingbirds.  Although he wouldn’t tell me all the ingredients, I do know that he used Belvedere Vodka, lemons, simple syrup and a secret ingredient that my palate couldn’t discern. The garnish was a sprig of lavender. And…it was delicious! It was a refreshing summer cocktail and a perfect evening to sit outside and enjoy the sunset…. no humidity and a beautiful breeze. Happy!  I have lots to do today, but I’m looking forward to an early evening swim, good wine and food.
Enjoy this beautiful day! Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina  It’s a beautiful Friday and I think we’re off to the start of a great sunny, no rain weekend! Yippee!  I can’t say much about the torrent of rain that came down last night ruining a nice outside get together. However, we all managed to re-group indoors and continue our revelry. There was a potpourri of drinks being had. I chose Grey Goose on the rocks to carry me through the evening.  I’m looking forward to a sunset get together with wine and cheese. What are you doing?
Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina  The other day I went out to a late lunch with a friend. I decided to stray from my usual vodka order and instead asked for Chopin on the rocks. It had been a long time since I last tasted it.  Chopin vodka is four times distilled from late harvest potatoes grown in Poland. It is silky smooth with flavors of vanilla and a hint of nuttiness that lingers at the finish. I’m putting Chopin back at the top of my list again! http://www.chopinvodka.com Yesterday, a friend stopped for a sunset drink. We opened a bottle of Brunello Di Montalcino 2009 from the La Mannella Estate. Because I’m short on time today, I will review it in tomorrow’s post.  I have to meet clients and then get ready for guests coming over for a Belmont Stakes party!
Happy Saturday! Cheers! Penina |
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