2 oz. Vodka (Vermont Spirits Gold)
1 oz. Dolin Blanc Vermouth
Dash maple bitters (Urban Moonshine)
Tangerine zest
In a recent article from the LA Times Magazine, Camper English declared that the martini does not exist. More accurately, that the perception and creation of the drink has morphed with time and trends until utterly unrecognizable. This morphology is disconcerting to those averse to change, but we welcome variations so long as the values of quality ingredients, form, and technique remain true to what originally placed their predecessors in the annals of mixology. The tangerine zest adds a really bright citrus nose. The drink has a smooth botanical forward and is mildly sweet.
The Vermont Spirits Gold vodka has an earthen vanilla forward and a cocoa, mildly spicy rye-like finish on account of the maple saps spicy attributes. The vodka is distilled from the sugars of maple sap, and not a flavored vodka. This is not to say that there are not hints of maple flavor in the vodka, as Vermont Spirits only lightly filters the Gold after a triple distillation, but it is not obviously maple (the addition of Urban Moonshine Maple Bitters, a fellow Vermont producer of bitters and tinctures, serves to amplify its flavor). Amazingly, it takes all of the sap from one tree to create one bottle of Vermont Gold, which only flows for less than six weeks a year truly making this vodka a small-batch craft-product by necessity. At around $40 a 750ml, its standard to high priced for a luxury vodka, which may prevent non-vodka drinkers from purchasing, but there is also a 350ml available for around $20, and an excellent option for the curious and adventurous. F. Paul Pacult of The Spirit Journal, writes that it’s “worth every bloody cent”. Current availability is limited to New England States and Metro New York City but we hope to see it served in more bars and cocktails in the near future. What’s your idea of the perfect martini?
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