By
George Brozowski
"You
have got to be kidding me" were my first thoughts
upon seeing the UV Sriracha Vodka bottle in all its red and
green glory, mimicking the original Srirachia bottle's colors.
Well, I do like vodka, and I do like Srirachia, as well, and
just about anything and everything spicy, so why not? After
all, Srirachia hot sauce has become the hot and spicy taste
of the moment with pizza places and sandwich shops and just
about everyone else and their mothers featuring it in their
menus.
For
a while there, Huy Fong Foods, the maker of the original Srirachia
sauce in Rosemead, California was almost shut down by their
neighbors for constantly producing a very spicy and apparently
very annoying smell that permeated their neighborhood. Thankfully
calmer heads prevailed and Srirachia keeps rolling off the
assembly line unimpeded. However, that didn't stop UV from
concocting their own Srirachia taste profile rather than using
the real thing in their vodka. Let's see if their version
tastes anywhere near the real thing.
Holy
fake out, Batman! This vodka appears to be a pale red in the
bottle mimicking the actual Srirachia color, but when poured,
it is as transparent as plain vodka or water for the matter.
Sad, it would have been really cool if it were to have been
red instead of colorless. The nose is akin to a watered down
version of the original, not as strong or spicy smelling but
otherwise close enough to fool most. There is the aroma of
chili's, vinegar, garlic and salt in this nose but not a trace
of alcohol - possibly because it has been lowered from the
standard 40% ABV to 30% ABV. On the palate, a sugar and salt
taste dominate followed by the chili peppers, and in the finish,
the spiciness takes over and lasts a fairly long time. I'm
not so sure this would make a decent stand alone sipper and
even on the rocks the spiciness of the chili's shines on through,
which, although I appreciate, seems out of place in a vodka.
On
the other hand, a dirty martini made with this vodka comes
out pretty tasty, as does a Bloody Mary, which seems like
the "raison d'être" of UV Sriracha Vodka.
And then, there's the price point of only around $12.00 for
a 750ml bottle, which makes this flavored vodka a steal and
a deal. I think a bottle of this vodka just might find its
way into my bar not only as a curiosity and a point of conversation
but as a really good mixer in some of my favorite drinks.
For
more Rants & Raves click
here.
Other
Related Links:
Springtime
UV Vodka Cocktails
UV
Salty Caramel Apple Vodka
http://www.uvvodka.com/