OVAL Vodka's Homemade Infusion Contest

You might have seen my mention about OVAL vodka’s infusion contest in an earlier post and wondered what the heck I was talking about. I got some ‘splainin’ to do.

Earlier this summer, OVAL vodka asked several cocktail bloggers to accept the challenge of creating a unique infusion using a bottle of OVAL and whatever other ingredients they like. The prize? Two nights stay in New Orleans, during Tales of the Cocktail. Many bloggers jumped at the chance to experiment and create and have some of their expensive hobby paid for!

Participants were asked to submit an 8 oz. sample of their infusion, the infusion recipe, and a cocktail recipe that called for their infusion. We got a number of great entries (you’ll see several featured below) and a judging panel (Gabriel Szaszko of Cocktailnerd, Rick Stutz of Kaiser Penguin, and mixologist Chantal Tseng of the Tabard Inn, met at the Mixo House in New Orleans to taste all the submissions and rate them on the following criteria:

infusion aroma

infusion taste

infusion creativity

cocktail taste

cocktail balance

cocktail creativity

One entry stood out among the rest and the judges’ scores showed agreement that Marshall Fawley’s Thai Infusion was the clear winner. Marshall, a DC blogger at Scofflaw’s Den, clearly put a lot of hard work into the process of creating this complex infusion & will now reap the reward! Check out his entry:

Marshall Fawley’s Thai Infusion:

16 oz. OVAL vodka

1 9-inch stalk of Lemongrass, cut into small rounds

Peel of 2 limes

2 quarter-sized rounds of fresh ginger

1 2-inch cinnamon stick

4 cloves

Place everything in a sealed container and infuse for one week, shaking the container once a day. After one week, strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth.

And his fantastic cocktail….(seriously I love this one!)

Andaman Sun: (picture by Marshall Fawley above)

1 ½ oz. Thai-Infused OVAL vodka

1 ½ oz. Coconut water

1 oz. Piloncillo Syrup* (1 ½: 1 strength)

½ oz. fresh lime juice

¼ oz. Coconut milk

Shake all with ice and double strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

*Substitutions for Piloncillo syrup- 1 oz. of Dark Brown Sugar Syrup (1 ½ : 1) or ¾ oz. simple syrup & ¼ oz. molasses.

Congratulations Marshall! You created the perfect cocktail for a creative infusion!

I want to thank everyone who participated in the contest, as well as Chris Stanley, who lent a great hand and made all the cocktails for the tasting. Check out a few featured infusion recipes below. I’ll also post featured cocktail recipes later this week.

Cilantro, Peppercorn & Honey Infusion Recipe by Matt Robold of Rumdood:

Steep a handful of cilantro leaves in a 750ml bottle of OVAL vodka for 24 hours.

Strain out the cilantro and then add ¼ cup of peppercorns (uncracked) to the vodka, along with ½ cup of honey and shake vigorously. Steep for 48 hours and then strain through cheesecloth and/or a coffee filter.

Jalapeño Infusion Recipe by SeanMike Whipkey of Scofflaw’s Den:

Slice up three jalapenos, removing the ribs and seeds. Place in a jar with twelve ounces of OVAL vodka. Let sit for twenty four hours, then strain out the slices of jalapeño.

Rosemary Infusion Recipe by Stevi Deter of Two at the Most:

Take leaves from 1 oz. fresh rosemary, add to 8 oz. OVAL vodka, and allow to infuse for one day. Double strain

to remove leaves.

Chip Infusion Recipe by Blair Reynolds of Trader Tiki: (This one’s extremely complex but great tasting-it was ranked #2 by our judging panel—check out the great cocktail recipe that accompanies it on my next post)

750ml OVAL Vodka

2 large brown coconuts

6 oz. Orange Blossom Honey

1 large Plantain

½ vanilla bean

Pinch demerara sugar

Pinch cinnamon

Drill holes in both coconuts, replace coconut water with OVAL vodka. Let sit for three days. Strain OVAL out of coconuts and into a glass container. Open and slice the coconut, being sure to remove the woody inner skin. Briefly chop the coconut and Plantain in a food processor until at a rough chop. Start a pan at medium temperature, and once at temp, add coconut and plantain. Throw sugar and cinnamon over the cocnut and plantain mix while toasting. Toast until coconut is golden brown. Let the coconut and plantains sit until cool (so as not to boil off the alcohol) then add toasted coconut & plantains and ½ a vanilla bean to the OVAl vodka. Let sit for three days.

Strain the vodka into a separate glass container. Add 6 oz. orange blossom honey and shake heartily. Strain through a Brita filter.

Lavender Infusion Recipe by Cheri Loughlin of The Intoxicologist:

1 ½ cup OVAL Vodka

2 teaspoons lavender flowers

Place 2 level teaspoons of lavender flowers and 1 ½ cup of OVAL vodka in a glass container with a lid that will seal. Allow to sit out of direct sun at room temperature for 20 hours. Strain lavender flowers from liquid and return to glass container.

Calendula & Rose Hip Infusion Recipe by Ted Munat of Le Mixeur:

750ml OVAL vodka

1 cup dried calendula

4 tbsp dried rose hips

Combine in a jar and let sit for 24 hours. Strain out calendula and rose hips.

Tales Teaser

For those of you who haven’t been following my footsteps on Twitter, I arrived in New Orleans yesterday for the Tales of the Cocktail festival. My trip didn’t start so well, after listening to the lady sitting next to me on the plane verbally assault our fellow travelers about their “flight etiquette” for a half an hour straight.

But things changed dramatically for the better once I was safely within the French Quarter limits. I’m staying at the Hotel Monteleone, a New Orleans landmark with a rich history. I’m so glad to be in the middle of all the action this year (last year we stayed in a hotel just outside the French Quarter).

After attending an awesome Welcome Reception put on by Beefeater gin, Steve & I headed over to the Mixo house, a Bed & Breakfast that's been completely rented out by a couple of crazy bloggers with an insane collection of booze, for the OVAL vodka infusion contest judging. There judges Gabriel Szaszko of Cocktailnerd, Rick Stutz of Kaiser Penguin, and Chantal Tseng, bartender at the Tabard Inn in Washington, DC, put these infusions (and their respective cocktails) to the test. I'd like to send a huge thanks their way, and I'd also like to extend a huge thanks to Chris Stanley, who prepared all the cocktails for judging (which, once you see the recipes you'll understand, is no small feat-especially when you're vying for bar space with dozens of cocktail afficianados).

In the coming days (ok, perhaps when I get back to the office) I'm going to write up a more detailed post and share some infusion recipes, cocktail recipes, and cocktail photos with you dear readers. But for now I'll have to leave it short and simple. Marshall Fawley of Scofflaw's Den took top prize with a creative Thai infusion and a delicious cocktail to boot! The judges were in complete agreement that his entry deserved the grand prize so Marshall will be having a portion of his stay in New Orleans paid for by OVAL vodka. Congratulations Marshall & well done!

More from New Orleans in the coming days...

Tales Time

Is it really that time again!? Believe it or not, tomorrow I’m headed back down to the Big Easy for Tales of the Cocktail, “the summer’s most spirited event.”

The weather has just started to not suck here in Connecticut (we’ve been hammered by serious rain, thunderstorms and yes, even a tornado for about the last month) and now I have to leave it behind for the sweltering sweaty mess that is New Orleans in July.

Ahhh, but I love it! And I’ve been training-daily two-mile runs in my snow suit followed by high-proof cocktails in a steam bath. I’ve prepared. I’m focused. I’m ready.

As I am a complete control freak (and may possibly suffer from OCD) I’ve created quite the detailed agenda for myself while in New Orleans. I won’t put all the little details down here but I will give a few of the highlights away. Here we go:

Wednesday:

Beefeater Welcome Reception (come see me!!)

OVAL vodka Infusion contest judging

Possible tweet-up @ Bar Tonique (we’ll see if I last that long)

Thursday:

Breakfast @ Begue’s

How’s & Why’s of Cocktails Session

The CSOWG is taking ME to lunch (I feel special!)

Chemistry of Cocktails

Dinner @ Arnaud’s with the Intoxicologist herself

Friday:

Using Blogs & Online Tools to Promote your Bar, Brand, or Career (Steve’s on the panel-come watch him preach Social Media Marketing and possibly embarrass me in a crowded room)

The Cocktails That Made Gin Famous

On The Fly Competition (this is going to be a fun one)

Caipirinha Competition (got to see what my friends at Leblon are up to)

Saturday:

Breakfast @ Brennan’s (‘nuff said)

The Three Amigos (heard it was hilarious last year)

Dinner @ NOLA with the Dood of Rum

And last but not least….The Spirit Awards (how can they possibly top last year’s host—Shooter McGavin!?)

So, if you’re a stalker and would like to know my every move in New Orleans (kidding…please don’t stalk me) or if you’re sad and alone at home and would like to live vicariously through me, check in here for daily (I’m optimistic) updates or follow me on Twitter. By the end of the week, you’ll already have your trip booked for next summer. Trust me.

Till then, Cheers!

Where to Drink: Atlanta, Beleza’s Orange Swizzle

This post is part of a new series, where we will review establishments across the U.S. mixing up delicious cocktails with OVAL!

YouTube code:

If you’ve been paying attention (there might be a test) you probably heard we were in Atlanta recently for Thursday Drink Night sponsored by OVAL vodka. Wow! Yummy drinks. We chose to use and abuse the crew at Beleza for this event because I had such an awesome experience visiting their bar back in April.

This Brazilian-style restaurant and bar has a FAB.U.LOUS OVAL cocktail called The Orange Swizzle on the menu and in this video, mixologist Adam Fox fixes it up. Now, this one’s pretty involved. It might not be something you can whip up at home on any ol’ night of the week. That’s why this post is called “where to drink.” If you’r e in the mood for something special & different (and you find yourself in this great city of the South) you need to head to Beleza and let the bar staff take care of you. Cheers!

The Orange Swizzle

1 ½ oz. OVAL vodka
½ oz. Cane Syrup
¾ oz. Lime Juice
6 Mint Leaves, bruised
3 ½ Wheels of Orange, muddled in tin
Bar spoon Cointreau
½ oz. Homemade Ginger Beer
2 oz. Soda Water
Dash of Aperol

First of all, take a deep breath. This is going to be serious. Start off with the mint in a Collins glass and use a swizzle stick to bruise the leaves. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the orange wheels. Add cane syrup, lime juice, Cointreau, ginger beer and OVAL vodka. Dry shake. Add ice and continue to shake thoroughly. Fill the Collins glass with crushed ice. Strain the contents of the cocktail shaker over the ice. Swizzle with swizzle stick. Top with soda water and mark with Aperol. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Reward yourself for a job well done and DRINK!

Oval TDN Cocktails: Don’t mind if I do

Last Thursday’s TDN was sponsored by OVAL vodka and I had a great time trying out new cocktails in Atlanta. Jon Flowers and Rob Chen of Drink Planner joined me at Beleza, where mixologist Adam Fox helped us out by making the fabulous new cocktails (submitted by participants online) and even threw in a few of his own new creations.

The result was a great evening with delicious drinks—my personal favorite of the night was a bit of a shocker. I’ve got to admit when I first read the recipe (submitted by Cass McClure) I thought it was a little bit crazy-I mean, four ounces of vodka! Wow! But if you too are a doubter, whip this sucker up stat and you’ll find it’s deceptively smooth (thanks in part to the use of OVAL) and terribly tasty. Here she is:

Perfumed Beauty by Cass McClure of Junk Hauler’s Junk

4 oz. OVAL vodka
½ oz. Sloe Gin
½ oz. Lime Juice
1 ½ oz. Simple Syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 wedge pineapple
4 mint sprigs
¼ tsp. ground cardamom

In a snifter, muddle a large wedge of pineapple with three mint sprigs, 2 dashes bitters, and ¼ tsp. Cardamom. Fill glass with crushed ice. In a shaker, combine vodka, sloe gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. Shake and pour into glass. Garnish with a bunch of mint sprigs, lime wedge, and a rim of cardamom mixed with simple syrup.

I’m telling you, delicious! And if for some crazy reason, this drink isn’t your style, go check out a few more featured recipes (and some lovely drink photography by Rick Stutz) on the Mixoloseum blog. Big thanks to all the participants who joined us in the Mixoloseum chat room, to the Drink Planner dudes, Adam Fox, & the rest of the crew at Beleza! Cheers!

OVAL Vodka sponsors Thursday Drink Night!

I’m taking off tomorrow, in the wee hours of the morn’ for Atlanta, where Beleza lounge will be hosting a live Thursday Drink Night event, sponsored by OVAL vodka. Jon Flowers, hilarious writer of Drink Planner, will be joining me, as mixologist Adam Fox shakes (or stirs) up your fantastic new idea for an OVAL vodka cocktail. All you have to do is join us in the Mixoloseum chat room at 7pm EST tomorrow night with your brilliant idea. We’ll even have a webcam set up at Beleza so you can see us “ooo” and “ahhh” over (or spit out and criticize) your cocktail. Just kidding—we’ll play nice!

I like the way Rick Stutz of Kaiser Penguin sets up this challenge. Check it out and make sure to stop in and say hi tomorrow:

Vodka alone accounts for over 20% of spirits sales in the U.S. yet gets not play with the cocktail snobs. Think you're so cool only working with ingredients that taste like tree bark and gasoline? How about mixology where you are in charge of all the flavors? No chance to rest your ass with a delicious Gin. No aged whiskey to do your work for you. Want complex flavor? It's up to you captain. Join us and Oval Vodka for this week's TDN.

Show Your Mom Some Love!

This Sunday is Mother’s Day which means you should be spending the day cooking, cleaning, and pampering your mama (unless, of course, you’re a mama yourself—in which case, leave that to the guys).

There are few things my mother enjoys more than a tasty cocktail with dinner, so I’m serving up the Happy Mom along with a nice home-cooked meal. Try shaking up this super simple drink for your madre and I guarantee you she’ll thank you for it. Cheers & Happy Mother’s Day!

The Happy Mom

1 ½ oz. OVAL vodka
½ oz. Hiram Walker Triple Sec
½ tsp sugar
1 ½ oz. Pom Wonderful
Fresh cherry for garnish

Shake first four ingredients with ice in a shaker. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry. Serve with a smooch for your mom!

Tax Day Cocktail

It’s about that time again…tax day is looming and the slackers and procrastinators of the world are scrambling to get everything in order. It’s a stressful time of year, but I’ve got something to soothe your worries or celebrate a fat refund check (depending on your situation).

Check out this cocktail from OVAL vodka—Cry Me a River. If you like Bloody Marys you’ll seriously love this one! Who knows—it could even make a fantastic spring brunch drink. Give it a try and let me know what you think:

Cry Me a River

1 ½ oz OVAL vodka
½ oz Red Vermouth
¼ oz. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce
4 oz. Spicy V-8 juice

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled highball glass. Dust with freshly ground pepper to taste and garnish with a lemon wheel and thin slice of celery. Enjoy!!