Happy High on Coffee

Coffee? Vodka? Caramel?

The first whiff of the drink had me confused, and a bit curious. My sense of smell was elevated, probably as a result of my blindfolded vision. I could almost see what I was smelling. A cup of filter coffee, a shot of vodka, a bowl of caramel pudding, or an interesting new note of fragrance. Ok it was time to taste.

The tip of the tongue had a bit of caramel on, with some coffee at the back of it, but I knew it is Vodka as it rolled down my digestive system with a slight tingling feel. The after taste was more coffee than anything. A sweet, coffee taste. I loved it.

Just to make things clear I am not a coffee expert. But I have my set of memories and experiences associated with it, be it the tongue-tingling Indian Styled Espresso, or my favorite filter brew at Matunga. I love my filter coffee, milky and strong, but without sugar. Over the past year though, my coffee consumption has risen, as the Vodka consumption has fallen. Given the circumstances Smirnoff Espresso seems like quite a discovery.

I was introduced to this new flavor this weekend at an Espressology event hosted by Tim Judge at Out of the blue, Bandra. The audience was mix of interesting people, bloggers, popular faces from twitter and some f&b experts. The event was a well-organized one, a neatly laid out space (although a bit cramped leading to 6-7 glasses breaking during the session), but the arrangements and a energetic facilitation by Tim ensured that the audience was hooked on for the entire duration.

Neatly laid out table setup

A bit of spice

Tim started by providing an overview of the coffee and vodka market, and gave just the right context before we started experiencing the drinks. First up was the blind tasting, followed with a few cocktails: an Espresso Martini, an Irish Coffee, and a really innovative Vodka-Cola-Sorbet. Also I got a chance to create a new cocktail, the Vodka Hazelnut Rabdi along with Karishma.

What’s more, in possession of a bottle right now and planning to use for a house party soon. You are invited for an Espresso Martini, Shaken not stirred . In case you can’t make it, here is the recipe.

Espresso Martini using Smirnoff Espresso

The Smirnoff®** Espresso Martini**

Ingredients:

60ml of Smirnoff™ Espresso, 10ml of Sugar Syrup, Double fresh Espresso Coffee shot

Method:

Fill shaker ¾ with ice. Pour in all ingredients & shake. Strain into cold martini glass or pour on the rocks in old fashioned glass

Serves 1

Alcohol content: 17.77gms