Ready to take your home bar cart to the next level? Look beyond the standard clear and brown liquors and try something with a daring flavor! There are plenty of synthetic (and sometimes ridiculous) flavored boozes out there, but we suggest seeking out craft brands that are committed to making infusions using only whole ingredients. A select few spirits companies are upping the flavor ante even more with unique, bold and strange concepts.
Get ready to enter the wild flavor zone with these five intriguing spirits:
Cathead Pecan Vodka
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Cathead Distillery is keeping it local and tasty in Jackson, Mississippi. This craft spirits brand is responsible for the first (and only) original pecan vodka on the market. It starts with real pecans sourced from Bass Pecan, a company that’s just down the road from Cathead’s distillery. No artificial coloring or flavors are used in the process; instead, a very careful maceration, accompanied with a stainless steel aging process, allows roasted pecans to infuse flavor into the vodka base.
Try it in: iced coffee
Tamworth Distilling Von Humboldt’s Natur Wasser Turmeric Cordial
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Tamworth Distilling of New Hampshire steadfastly follows a scratch-made philosophy: local, house-milled grain, pure water, herbs, botanicals and local fruits and vegetables are all that go into its line of spirits. Von Humboldt’s Tumeric Cordial begins with a neutral grain spirit made at Tamworth Distilling, which is then infused with real tamarind pods and turmeric root. Turmeric on its own is quite a powerful, bitter flavor, but combined with coriander seed and rose petal, it plays nice. A hit of lemon zest is added to balance the bitterness and open up the spice on the nose. The final result is an earthy tipple that makes a versatile cocktail base, an additional flavor to a drink or a stand alone digestif.
Try it in: Coconutty Turmeric Soda
Boardroom Spirits C
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Created entirely from 100% raw carrots (12.5 pounds of carrots in every one 375 Ml bottle to be exact), Boardroom Spirits‘ C is gluten-free and contains no artificial flavors, colors, added sugars or preservatives. The C spirit exudes a sweet, fragrant aroma comparable to freshly peeled carrots with hints of fennel and bittersweet apple fruitiness. It’s super smooth with bold carrot flavor and a pleasant carrot finish. C is a perfect addition to cocktails, but it can also be enjoyed on its own as an aperitif or digestive.
Try it in: Margaritas
Eastside Distilling Kachka Horseradish Vodka for Troika Spirits
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The torch has been passed to Portland, Oregon’s Eastside Distilling to make and bottle Troika’s iconic Kachka Horseradish Vodka. Each bottle is carefully handmade with whole locally grown horseradish root and a drop of honey. And while Troika creates many different infused spirits, this is the only one that is bottled and available to consumers outside its restaurant, also in Portland. Horseradish Vodka is perfect to drink straight, or as the key ingredient in a spice-forward mixed drink.
Try it in: Bloody Mary
Seedlip Spice 94 and Garden 108
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Creator of non-alcoholic spirits, Seedlip describes its product as “What to drink when you’re not drinking.” To create its products, Seedlip starts with the finest ingredients which are then harvested and individually cold macerated, distilled and blended. The two varieties boast different flavors: Spice 94 has an aromatic profile created with allspice, cardamom, oak, lemon and grapefruit; Garden 108 combines peas, hay, spearmint, rosemary and thyme for an herbal profile. If you’re stumped on how to make a non-alcoholic cocktail, Seedlip’s website hosts a slew of concoctions we’re sure you’ll love.
Try it in: Seedlip & Tonic
Add a little fun and flavor to your cocktail arsenal this summer with the help of these enticing flavored spirits! What are some of your favorite offbeat or unexpectedly flavored liqueurs? Let us know in the comments!
- Feature photo: BigStock
