Vodka With a Twist

Now, Aquavit and other brands such as Hangar One are beginning to offer naturally flavored, handmade boutique vodkas as part of this steadily growing trend.

Jamie Gordon, brand ambassador for Absolut vodka in New York, said Absolut's release of its Citron flavor in 1988 helped to establish a trend. "Everybody has been releasing more and more [flavored vodkas] lately," he says.

Aquavit restaurant has offered its own infusions of its signature spirit for years, but in 2005, Swahn spun off Aquavit's primary new spirit, Aquavit New York.

A Manhattan deli provided the inspiration for this metropolitan variety. Swahn wanted a clear product that would be better for mixing, and when he spotted a bottle of white cranberry juice on a bodega shelf, he knew he had found the perfect solution in a classic New York flavor.

Aquavit New York, produced by a small distiller in Sweden, retails for about $30 a bottle in stores, bars and restaurants in New York City, or online.

Although Aquavit is not a big liquor presence so far, its white cranberry flavor is disappearing off the shelves. "They try it, and people are sold," said Swahn.

West Coast Sips

Former software company owner Melkon Khosrovian's fiance, Litty Mathews, a foodie with a classical French cooking education, equated drinking vodka with food with drinking gasoline. She had always avoided flavored vodkas because they tasted like kitchen cleaner.

In response, Khosrovian began infusing flavors into his own vodkas so Mathews could participate in his Armenian family's customs. Marital bliss ensued.

Soon, the pair were inundated with requests from family and friends. To meet growing demand, they started Modern Spirits in 2004 from their home in Southern California, and today their collection is sold across the country.

"If you look at almost everything we eat or drink, it's gone through this transition from artificially made to handcrafted," Khosrovian points out, citing trends in tea, cheese, chocolate, wineries such as Mondavi and even food retailer Whole Foods (WFMI Quote).

"All categories of spirits are just starting to go through the same transition from industrial to handmade, and we are just one of the few companies in this trend," says Khosrovian. "Almost everywhere you go now you see small distilleries and spirit makers recreating [traditional] spirits ... with modern techniques."

	Modern Spirits Vodka

Further, American food is becoming bolder and spicier, another shift that is pushing demand for an accompaniment stronger than wine, but still gentle on the taste buds. "Vodka cuts through fat and protein and cleans the palate," Khosrovian explains.

Like Swahn's aquavits, Khosrovian makes his vodkas with natural ingredients to control their flavor. "We have to taste every ingredient that goes in at the beginning," he says.

The lavender used in one of the top sellers, pear-lavender vodka, is grown on the premises. Khosrovian even receives overnight shipments of truffles from a forager in Oregon for his black truffle vodka, which he claims is the only one of its kind on the market. And Khosrovian and Mathews' passion for flavor shines through -- one sip of the candied ginger will fill your mouth with a lingering sweet and spicy taste.

Modern Spirits vodkas are also available in other flavors such as chocolate-orange and grapefruit-honey ($25 to $40 a bottle) at liquor stores, upscale bars and restaurants or online.

Swanky gift packs featuring four of the most popular flavors displayed in a festive cigar box are also available at select retail stores at around $100 -- a perfect warming holiday gift. Drink up!

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