The American Mixologist Online® Newsletter Vol. 17, No. 10 All Rights Reserved
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Some spirits are better left alone in a snifter and sipped quietly in a corner booth. Others like to party and mix it up. The determining factor is their personality. To be a cocktail-friendly spirit, a brand needs to have prominent and highly marketable characteristics—most notably a vibrant flavor and an engaging aroma. Just like anything else, some have it and others don’t. And in this context how attractive the package is doesn’t count.

If it’s true that variety is the spice of life, then the new class of cocktail-friendly brands will jazz things up for years to come. Take for example Cruzan Mango Rum. Made in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Island, Cruzan is world renown for making some of the finest rums that can be served in a glass. Their newest flavor has the fresh aroma and flavor of ripe mangoes. It’s clear, light-bodied with just a touch of natural fruit sweetness in the relaxed finish. This Cruzan gem is ideal for making a wide range of cocktails.

The same can be said for Cabo Wabo Tequilas. Created by rocker Sammy Hagar, award-winning Cabo Wabo Reposado has generated considerable excitement in its brief, yet noteworthy life. Its success prompted the release of an añejo and a silver version. The añejo is a luxurious, satiny smooth tequila with a broad palate of rich flavors. The Cabo Wabo Silver is a most noteworthy cocktail-friendly spirit. It’s aromatic and loaded with pepper and spice, an enviable combination for a tequila.

Recently Jim Beam introduced Island Blue Pucker, an unassuming liqueur that’s perfectly in-step with contemporary tastes. As the name implies, it has an alluring, South Pacific blue color. The taste is a refreshing blast of citrus and a hint of pineapple with the trademark sweet and sour finish. This latest addition to the Pucker family is tailor-made for life behind bars and is capable of giving a cocktail the blues without adding unwanted sweetness. Add up its attributes and you’ve got a back bar winner.

But wait, there’s more. We’ve assembled a list of the hottest cocktail-friendly spirits new to our shores. Give any of them a whirl. They’re guaranteed not to disappoint.

• ABSOLUT VANILIA — One of the great names in cocktails, the Absolut family of vodkas recently gained some serious wallop with the addition of all-star Absolut Vanilia. This 80-proof Swedish import is distilled with Madagascar vanilla and not a single grain of sugar. The vodka is imbued with a dry, long lasting palate in which the vanilla flavor component is not over-played. It’s ideal for use in clean, crisp cocktails.
  
  
• AGAVERO — Agavero Liqueur is a made from a blend of select reposado and añejo tequilas. The secret ingredient in the recipe is a tea brewed from the Damiana flower. Damiana is an aromatic flower indigenous to the mountains of Jalisco. It is a revered plant in Mexico and is purported to possess aphrodisiac properties. Agavero has a singular, thoroughly enjoyable flavor. It makes a fabulous addition to a margarita, and as a float over tequila.
  
  
• BACARDI RAZZ — Bacardi has introduced a set of three outstanding flavored rums that will change how many cocktails are made in the years to come. Raspberry-infused Bacardi Razz has a true-to-fruit palate and a flavorful, long-lasting finish. The light rum is a mixologist’s dream come true. Also released were vanilla-steeped Bacardi Vanila and coconut-flavored Bacardi Coco. These new lottery picks join an already solid line-up that features Bacardi O, which is flavored with a natural orange extract, and all world Bacardi Limón.
  
  
• CÎROC — If you’re looking for an ultra-chic vodka with a singular point of difference, look no further. Cîroc is made from premium French grapes cultivated in the South of France. The grapes—Mauzac Blanc and Loin de l’oeil—are left on the vines until the first frost. The brilliantly flavorful juice is then cold-filtered over an extended time, fermented and distilled five times in small, alembic stills. The resulting vodka is crisp and light bodied with a subtle citrusy finish. Cîroc is a top-shelf, Saturday night selection perfect for the nearest cocktail glass.
  
  
• FRUJÁ — Frujá are light-bodied and brilliantly flavored liqueurs, attributes that make them ideal for a broad range of contemporary cocktails. The Frujá Raspberry has the same subtle, leafy/vine-like note on the palate that handpicked raspberries possess with a mouth-feel closer to that of a light white wine than a mainstream cordial. It was created to imbue a cocktail with an engaging bouquet and long lasting flavor, and then leave the scene undetected. The line also includes Frujá Mango, an equally lightweight liqueur that delivers on the promise of ripe mangoes, and Frujá Tangerine, which has a crisp, citrus-laded palate that lasts well into the extended finish.
  
  
• HPNOTIQ — HPNOTIQ (pronounced “hypnotic”) is a classy, aquamarine hued liqueur from France. It is made from an ultra-premium blend of triple-distilled vodka, aged cognac and a proprietary mix of natural tropical fruit juices. HPNOTIQ is like a skillfully crafted cocktail in a frosted, cork-finished bottle. It has more complexity than most liqueurs, the secret behind which may well be the blend of exotic fruit juices. Try as you might you won’t be able to detect their individual identities. HPNOTIQ is a pleasure to work with behind the bar. It was obviously created with a cocktail glass in mind and mixes beautifully with a slew of rums, tequilas, flavored vodkas and champagne.
  
  
• KAHLÚA ESPECIAL — This 70-proof, superpremium liqueur is made entirely from high grade, Arabica coffee beans from South America. The beans are handpicked and carefully roasted in small batches. For coffee aficionados, Kahlúa Especial is the real deal. It’s aromatic, richly textured and has a complex palate of freshly brewed coffee, dark chocolate with hints of vanilla and mocha. Its elevated proof, lighter body and exuberant character make it a prime candidate for inclusion in a broad range of cocktails and mixed drinks. The liqueur makes the definitive Kahlúa Mudslide and is unsurpassed in a cappuccino, café latte and iced coffee.
  
  
• MAGELLAN — Martini savvy haunts will want to be the first on their block to carry Magellan Gin. It is made in small batches in Cognac, France from triple-distilled neutral spirits, spring water and 11 freeze-dried botanicals, a mix that includes cloves. During the fourth and final distillation, the gin is infused with deep-blue Iris petals. The result is a sensationally flavorful spirit with a light blue tint. The color is naturally produced and mesmerizing in a cocktail. From start to finish, Magellan Gin is a veritable feast for the senses
  
  
• MARTIN MILLER'S REFORMED LONDON DRY GIN — This sophisticated spirit is batch distilled in Langley, England from a recipe that includes 8 botanicals. What differentiates this gin from the pack is that after distillation, every drop is shipped 3000 miles to the remote Icelandic village of Borganes. There the spirit is diluted to 80-proof using the glacier-fed waters of the Selyri Spring. The pure, soft water imbues the gin with a satiny body and delectable floral and citrus character that is well worth experiencing.
  
  
• PYRAT SUPERIOR BLANCO RUM — Introduced in 1998, Pyrat is a line of artisan, handcrafted rums from the Caribbean island of Anguilla. The rums are made from a blend of nine pot-distilled rums. These barrel-aged spirits were obtained from seven distillers throughout the Caribbean, and then further matured according to the Solera aging system. To make the Superior Blanco, the color in the rum is filtered out and it is reduced in proof with spring water. The rum is appropriately named and makes an exquisite daiquiri.
  
  
• SHAKERS — According to our scorecard, this sleek spirit out of Minnesota is the first ultra-premium American vodka. Priced at $33 per 750ml, Shakers is skillfully crafted from only the heart of Minnesota wheat; in fact, the distillery is owned by a cooperative of 850 wheat farmers. The silky smooth spirit is flawless in character and cleared for use in any vodka-based cocktail.
  
  
• WET BY BEEFEATER— What initially seems like an unusual name for a superpremium gin makes immediate sense with the first sip. WET by Beefeater is an altogether new set of sensations, most notably a delicate essence of fruit that resonates through the gin’s bouquet and palate. The fruit essence adds a lushness that has been heretofore unimagined. To further the effect, WET by Beefeater is bottled at an accessible 70 proof, which allows the flavor components to linger on the palate and heighten the taste. WET by Beefeater is guaranteed to tickle the fancy of gin enthusiasts and martini aficionados alike.

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