Booze Review: Upstate Vodka by Sauvage

When Life Gives You Apples, Make Vodka

In a vodka-saturated market,  it can be tough to stand out. However, that's exactly what Sauvage—a distillery and farm known for producing handcrafted, fruit-based wines—has endeavored to do with its newest product, Upstate Vodka. Produced in Oneonta, New York, this all-natural vodka is made from apples harvested in New York state, but isn't apple-flavored. At 90 proof, it also has a higher ABV than many other vodkas. Though vodka hasn't been my go-to spirit in some time, I was intrigued when I was asked to review Upstate by Suavage. I was also excited to find out whether it would taste like the flavored vodkas favored by those who enjoy shots, the more subtle ones that are easily sipped alone, or the stronger ones used in craft cocktails. With few primer notes (other than the fact that it recently won a gold medal at the Denver International Spirits Competition), I was totally left to my olfactory senses and my taste buds.

The Sniff: 

The initial whiff of Upstate Vodka presented a sweet aroma, like fresh Granny Smith and McIntosh apples. A longer inhale revealed notes of honeysuckle, fresh-cut grass and black pepper. There was eventually the expected scent of alcohol, but it was never overpowering. So, it was generally pleasant and made me really want a taste.

The Sip:

I definitely tasted the essence of apples on the front end, but that flavor gives way to a creamy mouthfeel and more neutral flavor. The sweetness was light, and lacked the syrup-like thickness or intense, artificial taste found in many flavored vodkas. The typical vodka burn definitely hit the back of my tongue, but it didn't ruin the experience.

The Verdict on Upstate Vodka by Suavage:

Upstate Vodka's complex flavor profile gives it a place among sipping vodkas—especially on the rocks. I can also see it tasting great in a vodka & soda. Though it doesn't lend itself to dirty martinis or savory cocktails, it could complement cocktails that feature cider, ginger, caramel or cinnamon. It would also work well in an upgrade to the apple martini, but only if you skip the green liqueur and add a homemade version made with freshly pressed apple juice. I'd recommend it to vodka adventurists, but I'm not so sure if it works for purists. 

The Shoes N Booze Squad would love to know your thoughts. Would you try Upstate Vodka at your local bar? Would you like to see cocktail recipes featuring Upstate Vodka here? Let us know!

*We were compensated for this review.

Booze Review: Viva XXXII Reposado Tequila

Sunshine in a Bottle

Fun fact: tequila is one of the fastest-growing spirit categories in the United States. Here at SNB, we can't get enough of the stuff—especially reposado served neat on a warm day. Consequently, we were excited when woman-owned tequila brand, VIVA XXXII sent us a bottle of their newly released liquid for review.

VIVA XXXIII was founded by Yvonne Niami to bring a luxury sipping tequila to the marketplace at an attainable price. With that goal in mind, the bottle design was kept simple and features a triangle pattern that references the founder's Mexican heritage in a modern way. There's also a philanthropic angle. 10% of net proceeds are donated to animal abuse prevention causes including the ASPCA and SPCALA.

Now for our thoughts on the actual tequila (the reposado is estate grown and rested for 6 months in new American Oak barrels and retails for $45):

VIVA XXXII Reposado Tequia - Photo Credit- Chris T. Ramos  www.christramos.com 

On the Nose:

Bright, sightly spicy, clean, notes of oak. Generally pleasant.

On the Tongue:

Incredibly smooth with a nice amount of spice but virtually no burn. The flavor coats the tongue for a long-lasting finish and full flavor experience. We noticed herbaceous, or slightly grassy notes, in addition to those of oak and maybe even a little caramel.  It's a bit brighter than some other reposado tequilas we've tried.

Overall Thoughts:

We thoroughly enjoyed this tequila solo, and for a fun twist we tried it with chili-coated mango chunks (delish!). It's a great value for the price and a good entry for tequila novices. The bottle makes a great piece to upcycle after the liquid is gone, too. So we like it as a hostess gift for dinner parties. Oh, and it's heavenly in bloody Marias.

Have you tried this brand before? If not, are there other questions we can answer for you about the flavor? We can talk about this stuff all day! Also, stay tuned for "Perfect Pairings" featuring VIVA XXXII cocktails soon. If you have shoes you'd like paired with a cocktail, let us know!

*Special thank you to our photo sponsor, Chris T. Ramos Photography!

Booze Review: Cockspur Rums

Yes, We Cane

Rum having a bit of a renaissance at the moment, especially dark rums made for sipping. Not only are there more brands (from more countries) making their way to the shelves, but their distillers are taking more care with their flavor profiles. We must admit, our experience with rums made in Barbados has been limited. We were excited, then, when Bajan brand, Cockspur sent us a couple of bottles for review— The Old Gold and VSOR 12.

Cockspur was founded in 1884 by Valdemar Hanschel. It was later passed to the Stade brothers, who were able to create a consistent flavor profile by introducing the first continuous column still to Barbados. They now produce a Fine Rum, Old Gold, VSOR 12, Rum Punch, Spiced Rum, Falernum, Overproof, Pineapple Coconu Splash and Green Apple Splash (most of these are only available in the Caribbean and Bermuda). First, we tasted the Old Gold, an 80 proof blend of light-bodied rum and old, full-bodied pot still rum.

On the Nose:

Cockspur's website says it presents notes of vanilla, cream and honey. We agree, but we'd also add caramel, light oak and maybe a hint of orange peel.

On the Tongue:

The flavor is smooth deep and sweet with a spicy finish as it reaches the back of the tongue. There are also some grassy notes at the throat. It has a long finish, with a pleasant spice eventually coating the tongue. In laywoman's terms, it's tasty enough to sip on the rocks with (maybe) an orange peel garnish and would taste great in a cocktail or with a simple splash of ginger beer.

Moving on to the VSOR 12, the 80 proof Very Special Old Reserve—a premium rum blend of the oldest rums kept on reserve at Cockspur's distillery in Barbados.

On the Nose:

The website mentions notes of toffee, vanilla and oak. We also noticed aromas of apricot or peach and orange. Point blank... it's scent is smooth and sexy.

On the Tongue:

There's definitely a creamy mouthfeel and (which basically means the flavor smoothly coats your entire mouth and disperses smoothly, like cream). The flavor is reminiscent of a good bourbon with strong vanilla, oak and spiced fruit notes. This is definitely a rum for solo sipping or creating cocktails that usually contain bourbon. Also, when it gets cold out, this'll be perfect for hot buttered rum.

Overall thoughts:

These are pretty darn good rums. Both are smooth and flavorful with just the right amount of bite. While we enjoy the VSOR 12, we found the Old Gold a little more pleasant because of its lightness (but maybe blame that on the weather in the NY area finally warming up a bit). Would we keep it in our home bar? Yes! Would we bring it to a house party proudly? Totally! We hope you'll try it and let us know your thoughts.

As always, Indulge wisely and responsibly.

Booze Review: Smirnoff Whipped Cream Vodka

 

Whip it Good

When Smirnoff Vodka sent the bottle of their new Fluffed Marshmallow vodka to try, they also sent one of their Whipped Cream flavor. Consequently, my review crew and I tried both on the same day. Here's what happened when we tried Smirnoff Whipped Cream vodka.

The Sip…

Our first sip…

 

The Shot…

We took a shot to test for strength, smoothness, etc.

 

The Mix…

Our bartender mixed it with a little tonic

 

The Verdict: Smirnoff Whipped Cream is pretty darn yummy. It has a bit more bite than the Fluffed Marshmallow, but it’s still quite sweet. It’s a good shooter but a great vodka to mix. Though I like the flavor of the Fluffed Marshmallow more, I appreciate that the Whipped Cream provided a little more warmth going down.

 

El Fin

Again, special thanks to Claudia Mora of Matrix Public Relations, Enovia Bedford of Accessory Remix and the folks at DV Depot. Also, Erika, I appreciate you taking a little break from fashion styling to be our bartender.

 

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Booze Review: Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow

 

Fluffy, not Stuffy…

Unless you totally avoid all bars, restaurants and liquor stores, chances are you’re familiar with Smirnoff Vodka in some way. However, I’m willing to bet that you haven’t had their Fluffed Marshmallow flavor yet. They sent Shoes N Booze a complimentary bottle to check out, so I rounded up my review crew and headed to DV Depot in New York to sit at the bar and give it a try.

 

Claudia Mora (Entertainment Publicist), Enovia Bedford (Jewelry Designer) and I met at the DV Depot bar in New York to try out Smirnoff’s 2 new flavors.

The Sip…

We took our first sip of Smirnoff’s new Fluffed Marshmallow flavor…

The Shot…

We took a shot to see whether or not it goes down smoothly

The Mix…

Our bartender, Erika, mixed it with a bit of cola to see if it plays well with others

The Final Verdict: We all loved Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow. It was sweet with a bit of a creamy mouthfeel (you’ll have to taste it to fully understand what that means, but it basically tasted like I was sipping a creamy treat although it was straight vodka). It was also strong enough to provide a buzz pretty quickly. We agreed that it tastes like a holiday drink and will go well into hot chocolate and other warm sippers. My only issue was that you can barely taste the alcohol, so you could almost overindulge before you realize it.

Thanks to Enovia Bedford (reach her via @accessoryremix on twitter or www.accessoryremix.com) and Claudia Mora (reach her via @claudiadecali on twitter or www.matrixpublicrelations.com). Extra special thanks to our bartender, Erika (@Erikasnstyle on twitter), and to the folks at DV Depot ( @dvdepot on twitter). Please see the next post for our review of Smirnoff Whipped Cream vodka.

 

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Booze Review: Attems 2010 Pinot Grigio

 

Grape Expectations

 

I seldom discuss wine here, but that’s about to change… starting now. Ladies, the wine you drink says as much about you as your shoes and your cocktail. (The selection process can be confusing, so check back soon for more info on which wine says what.) There’s white, there’s red, sparkling, rose… and the list goes on. However, there are certain types you can find on almost any menu, and Pinot Grigio is one of them. It’s one of the more versatile varieties of white wine- easily sipped alone or paired with chicken, fish or other light meats. Recently, the folks at ATTEMS sent me a bottle of their 2010 Pinot Grigio to review.

ATTEMS wines come from Collio DOC in the northeastern part of Italy, and the winemaking lineage of the ATTEMS family dates back 900 years.

I asked my friends, Enovia Bedford of Accessory Remix (June Ambrose was just spotted in one of her necklaces) and Yenitza Lindsay of Sociallite Accessories to try it with me and give their opinions.

The Sniff…

We took a quick sniff to see what flavors we detected in the aroma

The Sip…

We sipped it to pick up the subtleties in the flavor

The Verdict (and potential food pairings)…

We rated it and decided which foods would work best with it

Tasting Notes (from Attems): The wine appears an intense straw yellow with gold highlights, luminous and appealing. Rich, complex notes of fruit are first to please, with banana, pear, mandarin, and
kumquat, as well as pink grapefruit and white peach, and the bouquet ends in a flourish with generous orange blossom honey. The elegance and length of the palate are notable, as is its silky mouth feel, finely balanced by a crisp acidity and ultra-savoury fruit.

I’m not as well-versed in my vino as I am in my cocktails, so this is a journey we can take together. One thing I’ve learned: white wine needs at least 3 years of aging to reach full maturity. Nonetheless, my friends and I definitely enjoyed the ATTEMS. Now I want to know what a 2008 tastes like.

Oh… FYI snooth.com (a HUGE wine site) is shining the spotlight on Pinot Grigio for the month of August via its Global Tasting Initiative (snooth.com/GTI). If this review has you thirsty for more pinot info, check them out (and maybe even participate).

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Booze Review: Vision Vodka

 

A Clear Vision

All vodkas are not created equal. Depending on the brand and quality, they can be distilled varied numbers of times and made from different ferments. All of these factors affect the taste, strength and likelihood of a rough hangover the following day. Often, the more times a vodka is distilled, the less likely you are to feel like you’ve been hit by a truck.

 

Recently, I asked a Enovia of Accessory Remix and Claudia, an entertainment publicist, to help me review Vision Vodka, an American made, wheat based premium spirit that’s distilled 5 times in Oregon. First, we took an introductory sip…

Next, we took a shot…

Then, we mixed it… (can’t beat a simple Screwdriver)

Finally, it was time for the verdict…

Vision Vodka gets our nod. It’s definitely a great party vodka. To quote Claudia, “it’s a very strong vodka.” However, it’s also pretty smooth and blends well in cocktails. In addition, after consuming QUITE a bit, none of us had hangovers the next day.

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Booze Review (Valentine’s Day Edition): Exclusiv Vodka

An Exclusiv Relationship

My favorite Valentine’s Day gift this year came from Exclusiv Vodka. The package arrived a bit early, but that gave me time to sip, mix and get acquainted with the Moldovan vodka before our big date.

First kiss (sip): Very simple. Slightly sweet, but pretty clean. Considering its low price point, it surprisingly managed not to taste like rubbing alcohol. Still, it definitely had a kick and quite a bit of spice.

Introduction to the crew (mixing): It definitely plays nicely with others. When introduced to orange juice, cranberry juice and other flavors, it blended well. It didn’t leave the aftertaste I’ve experienced with some other lower cost vodkas.


Cupid’s Arrow: An Exclusiv Valentine (recipe trademarked by Daniel Seelbinder)



1 1/2 oz Exclusiv Vodka
1/2 oz raspberry liquor
1/2 oz simple syrup
5 rose petals
champagne
In a collins glass, muddle rose petals and simple syrup add ice. Pour vodka and raspberry liquor then fill with champagne.
 
This cocktail was crisp and effervescent, but just sweet enough to be romantic. It looks gorgeous, too. I’ll probably add it to the list of cocktails my friends and I consume at gatherings (sans rose petals).

Post-date opinion (review): We can hang out, but I will definitely have to see other vodkas. It’s great for shots and for mixing, but I can’t see myself sipping it solo on the rocks or using it in a simple martini.

Shoe Pairing:

Sergio Zelcer Capri Bootie (avail. via Amazon.com)

 

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Booze Reviews: Ron Abuelo Anejo & Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka

Hot, Sticky, Sweet…

I’m always pleased to find booze news and cocktail recipes in my inbox. However, coming home to find a package containing bottles of booze to review is a definite day maker. The most recent box contained these two bottles:

 












Tomorrow is National Hot Buttered Rum Day, so the bottles were accompanied by a cocktail recipe (which I’ve shared at the bottom of this post). However before I could combine them, I had to taste them individually.

Ron Abuelo Añejo: Slightly sweet and a bit spicy with notes of vanilla and a hint of nuttiness. Ladies, it’s pretty strong in taste AND alcohol content (just about 80 proof). If you’re not a serious drinker, I suggest you keep this one for making mixed drinks (or serving to gentleman callers). I actually like sipping it neat (no mixers and no ice) in the evening.

Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka: Tastes just like I piece of caramel candy, but with a kick (a 70 proof one). This is a drink for someone who likes their drinks sweet, but still wants the feel the warmth in their chest. It plays nicely in cocktails, hot chocolate and coffee, but it’s also a delightful treat on its own.

Put them together, add a few more ingredients and you get:

HOT CARAMEL BUTTERED RUM 
 


3 oz Ron Abuelo Añejo
1 oz Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka
2 Tbsp stick Unsalted Butter, softened
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
Cinnamon Stick

Add all ingredients (excluding rum and vodka) into a hot drinking cup or mug.  Mix the ingredients together until they are well combined and have formed a batter.  Add Ron Abuelo Añejo rum and Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka.  Pour in hot water (1 cup or more to personal taste) and stir vigorously until the mixture has dissolved.  Garnish with cinnamon stick.

I actually made myself a batch, and it was deliciously naughty! Oh, and the perfect shoe pairing for this drink is either a cozy pair of slippers, or…

Samanta Viv Boot (via CSNStores.com)

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