Chopin Vodka invited bartenders to discover its distinctive assortment of spirits—Chopin Potato, Rye, and Wheat Vodkas—and compose an distinctive cocktail utilizing considered one of its single-ingredient expressions. These three vodkas have unmistakably completely different traits and distinct taste profiles, difficult the misperception that “vodka is simply vodka.”
The workforce of judges select one 1st place and one 2nd place winner for every fashion of vodka—potato, rye, and wheat. The three 1st place winners will obtain $1500 every and be featured in Chopin Vodka’s editorial unfold in Chilled Journal and the three 2nd place winners will obtain $500 every.
Try the six profitable cocktails within the Chopin Cocktail Competitors—two for every expression of Potato, Rye, or Wheat Vodka.
Chopin Potato Vodka
1st Place
Jennifer Guerrero – Houston, TX
Everybody has that one buddy that was influential of their life. Mine was my greatest buddy, Andrea. We’d journey each summer time to her mother and father’ lake home on Lake Travis and benefit from the stunning climate and funky waters. Her mother and father would, regularly, deliver us a snack of prosciutto and Cantaloupe for a salty and candy deal with. When interested by this cocktail and Chopin premium vodka it made me take into consideration this taste pairing. What higher strategy to showcase these flavors than to have them proven via the traditional Martini. I want my Martinis 2 elements spirit to 1 half vermouth with a pair dashes of bitter. This units the framework for the Summer season Magic. Taking its title from considered one of my favourite films I’d watch with my mom and the superb instances I’d have with Andrea.
Prosciutto Infused blanc vermouth, Cantaloupe and Hami Melons Syrup paired with Amaro Nonino balsamic vinegar and orange bitters all come collectively as a standard taste pairing particularly in an Italian snack. I selected to work with Chopin Potato Vodka for its creaminess and light-weight fruit notes that complemented the salty prosciutto and the refined fruity nature of the melons. This drink feels barely salty and acidic which drinks like a Gibson. The sunshine flavors are good for a summer time day to reminisce concerning the magic of these instances on the lake and time with my mom.
Summer season Magic
Substances:
- 1 3/4 oz Chopin Potato Vodka
- 3/4 oz Prosciutto Blanc vermouth*
- 1/4 oz Amaro Nonino
- 2 Bar Spoon (scant .25 oz) Melon syrup**
- 1 Bar Spoon (⅛ oz) White Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Sprint Orange bitter (Regans)
Preparation: Construct in a stirring glass or tin, add ice and stir to dilute, Pressure into a relaxing Nick and Nora glass, frozen if attainable. Garnish with Hami melon (sub cantaloupe if not obtainable) and manicured lemon zest picked collectively.
*Prosciutto Blanc Vermouth
Substances:
- 375 ml (12.68 oz) Dolin Blanc Vermouth
- 80 g Prosciutto
Preparation: Mix in a vacuum seal bag. Chamber seal or vacuum seal rigorously. Sous-vide at 110 levels for 40 minutes. Drop instantly into an ice bathtub. Pressure off the Prosciutto. Switch to the freezer for 1 hour to solidify any fat. Pressure via the espresso filter to take away all solids. Retailer within the fridge for 1 week.
*Melon Syrup
(yields 12 ounces)
Substances:
- 200g Hami Melon (if obtainable, if not double then Cantaloupe)
- 200g Cantaloupe
- 400g Sugar
Preparation: Lower Melons in half, take away and discard the seeds with a spoon, take away the pores and skin with a knife. Dice and measure the fruit. Add fruit and sugar to a blender and mix on excessive till sugar is dissolved. Wonderful mesh pressure the combination. Then espresso filter that combination to get as a lot pulp eliminated as attainable. Enable to pressure slowly in a single day within the fridge to extract as a lot as attainable. Give a lightweight squeeze for those who can’t wait in a single day. Retailer within the fridge for 1 week.
Chopin Potato Vodka
2nd Place
Michael Vander Horn – Little Egg Harbor, NJ
Trying deep into the manufacturing of a spirit is an unbelievable strategy to discover inspiration. In relation to Chopin Vodka’s hottest expression, one doesn’t must look too far. It’s not usually that I learn an outline of the aroma of a spirit and wholeheartedly agree however with this one, I do. There may be refined inexperienced apple and vanilla combined with maybe only a contact of one thing earthier coming via on the nostril of this vodka. Licor 43’s advanced vanilla pairs with Cynar’s darker earthiness whereas gentle touches of absinthe and cardamom amplify the layers of those flavors. On the coronary heart of this energetic Cider is after all inexperienced apples, adjusted with citric and ascorbic acid to amplify the bitter notice to pair with a distinction of pistachio orgeat. All collectively it is a ridiculously refreshing but balanced serve that brings collectively the weather of Chopin Potato Vodka’s in a manner that permits the full-bodied taste of the spirit to shine via. Cheers!
Earth, Wind, and Cider
Substances:
- 1 1/2 oz Chopin Potato Vodka
- 1/2 oz Licor 43
- 1/4 oz Cynar 70
- 1 1/2 oz Acid-Adjusted Inexperienced Apple Juice*
- 3/4 oz Pistachio Orgeat**
- 2 Dashes Absinthe
- 2 Dashes Scrappy’s Cardamom Bitters
- High with Membership Soda
Preparation: Add all substances to a shaker tin and brief shake. Pressure right into a highball glass over a transparent ice spear. High with membership soda and garnish with a pistachio.
*Juice one massive inexperienced apple and add 12 drops of citric acid resolution and two drops of ascorbic acid resolution. Stir and style, alter as wanted
**Add 100g shelled, unsalted pistachios to a blender with 1 1/2 cups close to boiling water and mix for two minutes. Pressure via cheese material or a nut milk bag right into a clear container. Rinse blender and add nut combination again with 1 1/8 cups sugar and a teaspoon of rose water. Mix for 1 minute and add to a clear container. Retailer in fridge for as much as 1 month.
Chopin Rye Vodka
1st Place
Jonathan Stanyard
Chopin is understood for being the final family-owned vodka model in Poland. Past that, they’re a luxurious vodka model specializing in a single grain in every expression. I used to be impressed by the Rye Vodka’s contact of spice, good physique, and crisp and clear end. I constructed a spirit-forward drink to honor the vodka’s nuance of fragrant rye. The fruitiness of strawberries and the kick of pink peppercorn mix properly with a bittersweet aperitivo and dry sherry. The end of lemon bitters mist lets the cocktail start recent, with bitters notes. As you benefit from the cocktail, it turns into softer and sweeter. The throwing method offers an ideal steadiness of chilled and diluted whereas sustaining the physique and mouthfeel of the drink. This can be a luxurious sip for the Final Household Standing.
Final Household Standing
Substances:
- 1 1/2 oz Chopin Rye Vodka
- 3/4 oz Strawberry-Pink peppercorn infused Cocchi Americano*
- 1/2 oz Cappelletti Aperitivo
- 1/4 oz Fino Sherry
- 2 spritzes of Scrappy’ s Black Lemon Bitters
Preparation: Add all substances besides the bitters into the massive a part of a mixing tin. Fill with ice and throw the cocktail between the massive and small container by holding the ice again with a stemmed Hawthorne strainer. Throw the drink between the 2 5 instances, then pressure it right into a well-chilled cocktail glass. (You might additionally stir the cocktail softly.) Mist the bitters throughout the cocktail and garnish with a recent lemon peel and strawberry slice. Garnish with lemon peel and recent strawberry
*Strawberry-Pink peppercorn infused Cocchi Americano
Substances:
- 1/2 lb. Recent Strawberries (Quartered)
- 10 g Pink Peppercorns
- 375 ml Cocchi Americano
Preparation: Mix all of the substances in an hermetic container and place them within the fridge. Let infuse for 48 hours. Pressure and maintain within the fridge.
Chopin Rye Vodka
2nd Place
Suzy Tweten – Los Angeles, CA
Take your style buds on a journey with this multi-cultural play on a martini. I wished to create a savory cocktail that might enchantment to quite a lot of tastes—the purpose was to middle the supporting gamers round Chopin’s rye vodka, which has notes of crushed purple pepper and aromas of rye bread. I wished to point out off that this vodka can provide unbelievable complexity and play effectively in quite a lot of craft cocktails. I’ve chosen to separate the dry vermouth part in an effort to obtain each a lightweight salinity and a savory, earthy depth. Fino sherry brings sea-like salinity, clear and recent, with a slight style of tangy yeast to deliver out these rye bread notes within the vodka. Dry umami vermouth is a mixture of kombu seaweed, porcini mushrooms, and an array of botanicals to present this an unbelievable savory depth that pairs superbly with the peppery zing from Chopin.
A small quantity of dashi (Japanese soup inventory) is added for these soiled Martini vibes and to amplify the umami current within the vermouth. Banana notes are within the background through a little bit of banana liqueur, providing a contrasting sweetness and steadiness to the savory. Yuzu bitters deliver a touch of citrus notes and perceived acidity, and it’s all topped with the aroma and texture of some drops of toasted sesame oil. When you haven’t had the mix of crushed purple pepper, sesame, banana, and umami, I urge you to do your tastebuds a favor and provides it a strive! It even comes with a snack of a brûléed banana slice topped with nori furikake for a sweet-savory delight.
Soiled Yard Sprint
Substances:
- 2 oz Chopin Rye Vodka
- 1/2 oz Dry Umami vermouth
- 1/2 oz Fino sherry
- 1/4 oz Banana liqueur
- Teaspoon Vegan Dashi (Shiitake Kombu Dashi)*
- 2 dashes Yuzu bitters
- 3 drops Toasted sesame oil, for garnish
Preparation: Mix all besides sesame oil in a mixing glass with ice and stir till effectively chilled. Pressure into a relaxing coupe. Garnish with 3 drops of toasted sesame oil, and a brûléed banana slice
*Dashi
1 piece kombu (10 g), 2 items dried shiitake mushrooms, 4 cups water. Steep for five hours in fridge and pressure.
Chopin Wheat Vodka
1st Place
Jonathan Stanyard – Seattle, WA
The Chopin Wheat Vodka is so recent and light-weight I constructed a recipe to pair flavors that might complement and never overwhelm it. There are nice floral aromas and a candy caramel taste profile within the vodka that I targeted on. A wealthy and shiny apple-coconut cordial is balanced with recent yuzu and bergamot. So as to add one other layer of aromatics, a contact of aromatic pear brandy. Altogether, this cocktail is like strolling via a blooming apple or pear orchard or jogs my memory of my walks this spring via my neighborhood. What’s in a reputation? Because the saying goes, an apple a day retains the physician away; this cocktail has a little bit of that and, extra importantly, makes one really feel effectively with its shiny and refreshing nature.
Alive & Effectively
Substances:
- 1 3/4 oz Chopin Wheat Vodka
- 3/4 oz Apple-Coconut Cordial*
- 1/2 oz Pear Brandy
- 1/4 oz Yuzu Juice
- 3 dashes Bergamot Bitters
Preparation: Add all of the substances right into a cocktail shaker, and fill with ice. Shake for 12 seconds and high-quality pressure into a relaxing Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with a recent apple fan.
Apple-Coconut Cordial*
Substances:
- 200g Coconut Water
- 125g Inexperienced Apple
- 150g Cane Sugar
- ½ of a Vanilla Bean
- 3g Citric Acid
- 3g Malic Acid
Preparation: Add the coconut water to a saucepan and simmer over medium-low warmth. Thinly slice the inexperienced apple and add it to the pan. Cut up and scrape the vanilla bean and add to the pan. Cowl and simmer over very low warmth for half-hour. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Cowl and let come to room temp off the warmth. Add to a blender and mix till clean. Filter via a high-quality mesh strainer to take away the pulp. Add the acids and retailer them in an hermetic container.
Chopin Wheat Vodka
2nd Place
Suzy Tweten – Los Angeles, CA
Frédéric Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso famous for his solo piano music. Chopin produced a few of piano’s most intimate, romantic works throughout his lifetime. Born in Poland and died in France, he was one of many foremost Romantic period composers of the nineteenth century.
I wished to create a cocktail that mirrored each his life and his work and dedicate this to what I really feel are Chopin’s most romantic compositions, his Nocturnes. Regardless of the title, many of those 21 stunning compositions really feel significantly gentle, and the delicacy defies the technical problem in taking part in them. I wished my cocktail to evoke that feeling of delicate lightness, however with underlying complexity—and Chopin Wheat vodka was the right base with which to realize this.
Chopin Wheat is delicate, clear, and light-weight. Its aromas of anise and citrus deliver out a refined sweetness that’s made for shiny, fruit-based cocktails. This martini variation makes use of substances each from Poland and France, balancing the dryness of the vodka and vermouth with a contact of sweetness from a French melon aperitif.
Infusing the vermouth with tarragon lends an natural high quality that highlights the anise notes within the vodka. The Provence melon (Charentais melon) is sort of a vibrant cantaloupe and is amazingly recent tasting in aperitif kind. The melon-tarragon pairing is a match made in heaven, solely improved upon by a touch of pink peppercorn so as to add a floral, fruity chew that amplifies the floral aromas within the vodka. The garnish lends a stunning aroma through recent tarragon; and the pansy flower is alleged to symbolize the ideas of lovers, named for the French phrase for “thought” (pensée)—the flower completes the romance-themed libation.
Nocturne
Substances:
- 2 oz Chopin Wheat vodka
- 3/4 oz Tarragon-infused dry vermouth*
- 1/4 oz Cavaillon Melon aperitif
- Sprint pink peppercorn tincture**
Preparation: Mix all substances in a mixing glass with ice and stir till effectively chilled. Pressure into a relaxing coupe, and garnish with recent tarragon and an edible pansy. Garnish with recent tarragon and pansy flower
*Tarragon infused dry vermouth
Substances:
- 100 grams recent tarragon
- 350 ml Dolin Dry vermouth
Preparation: Mix in an hermetic container and infuse refrigerated for twenty-four hours.
Pressure and maintain refrigerated
**Pink peppercorn tincture
- 5 grams pink peppercorns
- 250 ml excessive proof impartial spirit
Preparation: Steep for twenty-four hours at room temperature. Pressure into dropper bottle and maintain indefinitely.
