‘Tis the season for all sorts of special holiday versions of old favorite brands. And so, the merry elves at Taylor Strategy have sent along a Limited Edition of Smirnoff vodka to sample.
They call it “Red, White and Merry: Orange, Cranberry and Ginger,” and while I generally try to avoid products that seem like they’re trying too hard, they had me at “ginger.” Also, I have fond memories of a visit to Krakow, Poland a few years ago, where many restaurants boast of their infused vodkas.
The unboxing was an adventure in itself – so much packing material, resembling the frozen precipitation we may or may not ever see this winter – and the bottle all sparkly and red. How festive!
We took cautious sips of the stuff neat. It has an assertive, almost too-sweet smell that gave us initial misgivings, and alcoholic strength (30%) to match. Drinking it neat would not be my first choice, but the messaging from Taylor indicated that they expect it to be used with mixers, so we got down to mixing.
First we tried a splash of RW&M in a glass of apple cider, with a twist of lime. Yes, very pleasant and eminently drinkable. This also works with orange juice, and gives the drink a nice rosy glow. (did I mention RW&M is a deep, cranberry red?)
Then we tried one of the Taylor suggestions: RW&M with lime juice and club soda (we used lime-flavored sparkling water), with a garnish of fresh rosemary and 2 whole cranberries. The rosemary pulled WAY above its weight to provide an extra dimension of aroma. Highly recommended. (Don’t eat the raw cranberries.)
Finally, we tried RW&M with one of my favorite mixers: ginger beer (remember “…they had me at ginger?) We garnished these with candied ginger and more lime. A masterpiece!
Red, White and Merry will put you in a fine holiday mood, if you aren’t already – and, if not, why not? It’s been the season for a while now!
