W. Park Kerr - Viva vodka: colorful cocktails with a kick

Text copyright 2006
by The El Paso Chile Company.

Photographs copyright 2006
by Leigh Beisch.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form without written
permission from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-4521-3305-8

The Library of Congress has previously cataloged
this title under ISBN-13: 978-0-8118-5176-3

Prop styling by Sara Slavin

Food styling by Dan Becker

Designed by Michael Mabry Design

Chronicle Books LLC

680 Second Street

San Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

Absolut vodka is a registered trademark of V&S Vin and Spirit Aktielbolag; Baileys Irish Cream is a registered trademark of R&A Bailey & Co., Limited; Belvedere Vodka is a registered trademark of Millenium Imports LLC; Campari Davide Campari Milano S.P.A.; Captain Morgan spiced rum is a registered trademark of Diageo North America, Inc.; Chambord liqueur is a registered trademark of Chatam International Inc.; Chopin vodka is a registered trademark of Millenium Imports LLC; Ciroc Vodka is a registered trademark of Diageo North America, Inc.; Citadelle gin is a registered trademark of Cognac Landy; Clamato is a registered trademark of CBI Holdings Inc.; Clear Creek Pear Brandy is a registered trademark of Clear Creek Distillery; Cointreau liqueur is a registered trademark of Cointreau Corp.; Cynar aperitif is a registered trademark of COMPARI-CRODO S.P.A.; Drambuie liqueur is a registered trademark of The Drambuie Liqueur Co., Ltd.; Finlandia vodka is a registered trademark of Finlandia Vodka Inc.; Frangelico liqueur is a registered trademark of Giorgio Barbero and Figli, S.P.A.; Galliano liqueur is a registered trademark of Remy Finance B.V.; Godiva liqueur is a registered trademark of Godiva Brands, Inc.; Goldschlger liqueur is a registered trademark of IDV North American, Inc.; Grand Marnier liqueur is a registered trademark of Societe des Produits Marnier-Lapostolle; Grey Goose vodka is a registered trademark of Bacardi & Company Limited; Jgermeister spirits, in particular bitters and herbal liqueurs is a registered trademark of Mast-Jgermeister AG; Kahla liqueur is a registered trademark of The Kahla Co.; Ketel One vodka is a registered trademark of Double Eagle Brands N.V; Lillet wines, aperitifs, and vermouth is a registered trademark of Societe Lillet Freres; Luksusowa potato vodka is a registered trademark of Adamba Imports International Inc.; Metaxa brandy is a registered trademark of Indivined, B.V.; Midori liqueur is a registered trademark of Suntory Limited; Opal Nera liqueur is a registered trademark of Allied Domecq Spirits & Wine USA, Inc.; Orangina soft drink is a registered trademark of Yoo-Hoo of Florida Corp.; Parfait Amour orange liqueur is a registered trademark of Marie Brizard Wines & Spirits USA; Pernod anise liqueur is a registered trademark of Pernod Ricard; Quotes Holland vodka is a registered trademark of Lancut Distillery; Rain vodka is a registered trademark of the Sazerac Company; Rumple Minze is a registered trademark of Diageo North America, Inc.; Skyy vodka is a registered trademark of Skyy Spirits LLC; Smirnoff is a registered trademark of Diageo North America, Inc.; Stolichnaya and Stolichnaya Gold vodka is a registered trademark of Allied Domecq International Holdings BV; Tabasco sauce is a registered trademark of the McIlhenny Co.; Tia Maria liqueur is a registered trademark of Tia Maria Limited; Tuaca liqueur is a registered trademark of the Distillerie Tuoni and Canepa S.P.A.; Wyborowa vodka is a registered trademark of the Wyborowa Vodka Distillery.

Dedication

To my pals: Chris Hill and Rodolfo Chope Choperena... two of the best global vodka-swilling buddies on the planet. The Arrivederci Capri is inspired by the most delicious summers with you guys, my family, old and new friends at Casa Moneta, sipping homemade lemoncello, smuggled vodka, and the long climb home from the Bar Tiberio... this one is for you. Multo Graci. WPK

Acknowledgments

Once again, hats and bottle tops off to Mittie Hellmich, mistress mixologist and killer co-author. M3, your uncanny ability to mix up the perfectly shaken, stirred, or burred libation is delicious. San Francisco photo team of master-shooter Leigh Beisch, the rockin food styling of Dan Becker, the dishy Sara Slavin, and Angelica Arriaga Cao. And to our four-legged pals Bella and Kikka. Brilliant Emeryville book designers Michael Mabry and Peter Soe Jr. The crew at Chronicle Books, especially, once again, Bill LeBlond, who is the kind of editor and guy that inspires the best and most creative work out of his favorite author. Bill, you are always perfectly chilled but never shaken!

Vodka is wonderfully polymorphousit becomes whatever you want it to beand we love that!

A cocktail lovers dream, vodka is so versatile that it mixes swimmingly with just about any ingredient your palate desires. With its clean, pure, tasteless character, this chameleonlike spirit can also be a bit dangerous; after a few delectable Lemon Drops or Chocolatinis, you may not be quite sure what hit you.

Renowned for taking the chill off northern European winters by way of viscous, frosty shots, vodka conjures impressions that are romantically inseparable from mother Russia. But todays vodka aficionados also pay tribute to Poland and Scandinavia, where fine-quality vodkas have been produced for centuries, as well as to the premium brands produced in France and the United States. Before you get seduced into shaking all the delicious multinectared concoctions in this book and beyond, we encourage you to learn to fully appreciate vodka by experiencing a few super-premiums sip by sip. We diligently taste-tested quite a few and offer in the beginning of the book a list of our favorite best-quality vodkas to guide you as you explore whether you prefer a creamy potato-based vodka from Poland, a subtle citrus-flavored vodka from France, or a clean, astringent vodka from Sweden.

This purest of spirits has come a long way, baby, from its early melancholic associations as the fortifier for downtrodden Russian writers and Communist revolutionaries to the current liquid darling of contemporary cocktails. Vodka was virtually unknown outside Russia, Poland, and Scandinavia until from Russia with love came Vladimir Smirnoff, who brought it to the west in the 1930s, thus beginning vodkas evolution into the fabric of Americas culture. In the swinging sixties, it was the extremely popular James Bond, with his storied preference for Russian vodka, who was the catalyst for a macho chic trend of drinking Vodka Martinis, bringing a hip legitimacy to the spirit as a swank and stylish alternative to the traditional gin. But vodkas winning attribute of pure, neutral taste came into full mixological play in the 1970s, when it became the chosen spirit for a variety of deceivingly coy cocktails, bringing on those liqueurheavy girly drinks and shooters with the erotic names that hid their alcoholic velocity in a creamy sweetness.

In Viva Vodka we represent the best of vodkas sixties suave and seventies spike, but our exploration with vodka doesnt stop there. Flavored vodkas open up a whole other realm of flavor possibilities. Although an ancient practice, infusing spirits with herbal and other ingredients has enjoyed a thorough resurgence in popularity and has become the hottest ticket to innovation in contemporary cocktails. Vodka infusions, from rosemary to mango to quadruple-citrus, are a great way to expand your Martini repertoire and add subtle excitement to any number of cocktails. Steeping your favorite fruit, herb, or spice is so easy, theres no excuse for not having a few creative vodka concoctions chilling in the refrigerator, in anticipation of treating your guests to a sublime vodka experience.