Review: Pinky Vodka

A few posts ago, I wrote an article on Infusions.  Little did I know that a truly unique spirit would be coming to my doorstep that would challenge my point-of-view.

Pinky Vodka is touted as “the world’s most beautiful vodka”.  To be honest, it is just that.  The packaging of this spirit is a tall, elegant bottle with a blush-hued fluid inside.  At first glance, Pinky Vodka may look a lot like a large bottle of perfume.  When you first open it, you may think it smells like one as well.

Flowers….that’s what I get when I first opened the bottle, with it’s black synthetic cork.  Classy.  I like it already.  I like corks, whether they be real or synthetic.  No matter.  Maybe it’s just the sound they make when opened.

The wave of floral scent wafted up into the room.  The aroma was like that of a fine Zinfandel–light, refreshing, floral and fruity.   For something to have such a pronounced aroma, it had to be more than just a simple infusion.  Did they distill the botanicals such as you would with gin?  Hmmm…I can’t say for sure.  What matters to me most is that someone meticulously crafted a delicate, light spirit.

The company says on it’s website at www.pinkyvodka.com, that Pinky Vodka is “Distilled five times from pure glacial water and slightly sweet winter wheat, Pinky is hand blended with violets, rose petals, and ten other botanicals to create a flavor kissed with the delicate fragrance of a midnight garden (we have champion Scandinavian wine tasters to thank for that).”

The delicateness of this spirit does not disappear upon tasting.  First, I poured about half an ounce in a small glass and gave it a taste.  I could taste the flowers, followed by a sharp alcohol burn.  I am pretty accustomed to drinking strong spirits at full strength or close to it.  However, this got me in the back of the throat for some reason.  Perhaps my senses were fooled into thinking that I was in fact, drinking a sip of wine, and the 40% ABV of Pinky Vodka snuck up on me.  Nevertheless, I continued my tasting, this time adding a splash of water to the Pinky, allowing it to blossom forth with more aromas and cutting the alcohol down to 35-38%–a little trick I learned from tasting Scotch whisky.  The water, or branch, helps to release some of the aromas trapped in the alcohol, and serves the dual purpose of bringing the ABV down to a level that is more palatable. I didn’t get much more aroma from the Pinky with this method, but it did quiet it down somewhat.  I did get more of the rose petal taste from it, something that dominates the flavor of Pinky.

I decided to consult the accompanying literature and recipe booklet I received from the folks at Pinky.  First up, was the Pink Kat.  I didn’t have any tonic available, so opted for the club soda version of this refreshing drink.  By the way, it’s very good!  Light, refreshing (that’s something that you’ll be saying to yourself a lot when drinking Pinky) and floral– a fine drink to introduce someone to Pinky Vodka.  I can imagine myself sitting out by the pool having one of these while watching the kids play.  Nice!

Pink Kat

1 part Pinky Vodka

1 part club soda or tonic

1/2 squeezed lime

Serve in a highball glass over ice

The second recipe I tried was the Naked Pinky Cosmo, created by Joe’s in Venice, CA.  Although I think my splash of cranberry was a little more than a splash, and my cocktail leans more toward the Pinky Cosmo, it was very good.  I’m not much for Cosmos, but I like this one.  The surprising thing is that the floral taste of Pinky held up against the cranberry and against the triple sec very well.  I would definitely recommend trying this one as well.

Naked Pinky Cosmo                                          

1 part Pinky Vodka

Splash of triple sec

Splash of cranberry

Two squeezes of a lime

Splash of simple syrup

Shake over Ice

Strain into chilled cocktail glass/ Garnish with a slice of lime

My overall impression of Pinky:  recommended for those who want something different at their next cocktail party or event.  While not a vodka for use in classic drinks such as a Bloody Mary, any drink with a fruit juice or light fruit flavored spirit would do well with Pinky.  Consider it to add a new dimension to your Vodka Martini.  Remember, keep your drinks light with Pinky.  You don’t want to overpower it and lose that delicate, floral flavor.  It’s worth it!

Pinky is currently available online at www.wallywine.com/.

Special thanks to the folks at Pinky for allowing me to sample their wonderful product.