Belvedere is best known for its straightforward, premium vodka made from Polish rye. The distiller gets more adventurous with Belvedere Intense (a higher proof variety) and its Single Estate series, but if you want to color outside the lines and experiment with flavors beyond those produced by grains, you’ve had to look to their Macerations line, which includes bottles like Lemon Tea, Mango Passion and Citrus. However, those vodkas are being phased out and replaced by more nuanced and layered expressions that balance fruit flavors with savory notes from herbs, spices and florals.
Today, the company announced Belvedere Organic Infusions, a new line of flavored vodkas. The range features three expressions: Lemon & Basil, Pear & Ginger, and Blackberry & Lemongrass, each made with 100% organic real fruits and botanicals.
Belvedere’s master distillers make the Belvedere Organic Infusions range from Polish rye sourced from a handful of local estates, so it’s 100% traceable. And the organic certification ensures that the lineup is crafted only with ingredients that are farmed with no artificial pesticides, additives or chemicals.
In addition to the core flavors, each expression includes a “hint,” “touch,” or “drop” of something else.
Blackberry & Lemongrass with a Hint of Sage has a rich texture of ripe blackberries and fragrant sage with notes of peppery lemongrass and vanilla.
Lemon & Basil with a Touch of Elderflower sports a succulent texture, with lemon tart and herbaceous basil, followed by floral elderflower and juicy muscat grapes.
Pear & Ginger with a Drop of Linden Honey brings a luscious mouthfeel of juicy pear, warm spiced ginger and rich honey.
These releases come on the heels of Grey Goose Essences, the French vodka-maker’s new line of vodkas infused with real fruit and botanicals.
Flavored vodka isn’t a category that I dip into often. But if I do reach for a flavored vodka, it will be a product using legitimate ingredients to achieve those flavors. Everyone should always feel free to drink what they enjoy, without judgment, but with solid options from Belvedere, Grey Goose, Ketel One and other quality distillers available, it’s becoming more difficult to justify some of the cartoonish flavored vodkas on the market.
Does the world need more flavored vodka? Debatable. But if the vodka aisle is going to increase, we’re happy to see it include more Lemon & Basil and less Whipped Cream.
