Although I'll be turning my eye back to absinthe soon enough, I figured that since it came up recently, and since Charbay vodkas seem to spark so much conversation around here, I should mention my experiences with their Key Lime vodka. Charbay, as we touched upon in our review of their blood orange flavored vodka, is a California microdistllery situated comfortably in the Napa Valley, where people tend to pay more attention to wine than vodka. Flavored vodkas, and especially unusually flavored vodkas, are a big trend in the US, and most of them get their flavor through the addition of artificial syrups. Charbay, however, relies solely on the fruit itself, making it one of the only whole fruit, fresh fruit vodkas. The difference really shows in the taste, as their spirits are uniformly crisp and refreshing.

I'm a sucker for just about anything key lime, so I jumped at the chance to take home a bottle of Charbay's key lime vodka, and they certainly did not let me down. There's a reason a small fry like Charbay can compete against established old line distilleries and come out ahead: their product is just that good. The key lime vodka is fragrant and tastes quite a bit like the fruit from which it's made. With a little experimentation (and the addition of some Absolut vanilla and soda), we were soon downing glass after glass of key lime pie cocktail that would go perfectly with a slice of real key lime pie and an ocean sunset from the veranda. Or in our case, Brooklyn traffic noise and a view of the fire escape. I'm tempted to top the whole thing off with a dollop of meringue to complete the dish, but that would require me to make meringue, which inevitably leads to the Three Stooges or the Marx Brothers coming over and throwing it about.

Honestly, though, you don't even need to mix this with anything. A little soda or tonic water will really make it shine, but straight, on the rocks, key lime goes down crisp and sparkling. Garnish with a lime (of course), or a lemon if you want to mix things up. I also used it to make a Tom Collins instead of my usual Bombay Saphhire, and it might have just become a permanent switch for me.

So far, Charbay is two for two with the vodkas I've had from them. And that's a major two for two: these aren't just good vodkas; they're some of the best. And since it's fresh fruit and potatoes -- well, you know what I say. That's a healthy meal.

Next up, I think I'll take some advice from Absinthe Diary readers and go for a bit of the Charbay Green Tea vodka.

Labels: Drink