Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/884376
100 / the tasting panel / october 2017 Throughout their history, flavored spirits have faced criticism for artificial taste profiles and unnatural ingredients. These claims were by no means unfounded, as there have been plenty of expressions gracing the shelves that were anything but natural. Before this epidemic, Charbay Distillery, located in Ukiah, California, took a drastically-different approach. In 1998, Marko Karakasevic—13th-generation Master Distiller and the son of Charbay founder Miles Karakasevic—proved himself an artist of flavor by releasing real fruit–flavored vodka. Marko still creates Charbay vodkas using the entire tree-ripened fruit, shredding it down to utilize all the flavors from the zest to the pith. Each of the flavored vodkas start with the distillery's award-winning Clear Vodka, a blend of corn and rye from the Midwest, and are flavored by Marko's proprietary fruit extractions. For the Charbay Meyer Lemon Vodka, he chooses juicy Meyer lemons from Central California. Charbay Green Tea Vodka, meanwhile, took almost five years to get exactly right; the extract comes from five different tea leaves grown in the Anhui Province of China. The spirit has natural caffeine, adding a captivating complex- ity to cocktail creations. Due to the versatile and beautiful taste profiles, these offerings, along with the rest of Charbay's flavored spirits (including Blood Orange Vodka, Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka, and Pomegranate Vodka), can act either as a base or modifier in a bar's program—a unique feat for a vodka. Whether you choose to go the simple route with a green tea lemonade or experiment with a more intricate cocktail, your guests will question everything they thought they knew about flavored vodkas as they enjoy the artistry of Charbay. Charbay Meyer Lemon Vodka ($30–$33) The sweet part of the lemon greets the nose: bright, more floral than tart and dense. On the palate, the lemon zest shows up, with a ratio of sweet to bitter that encourages the next sip. 93 —M.M. Charbay Green Tea Vodka ($30–$33) Honey and lemon are soft and demure aromas, with a hint of papaya. The palate offers up an array of tropical notes, with the green tea tannins in check. With its crushed velvet texture, spiced tropical fruit, jasmine, and kaffir lime meld with sprouted herbs. Complex and exotic. 94 —M.M. CHARBAY DISTILLERY Unlike Any Other: Charbay Distillery