Before Taco Tuesday on the rooftop, I actually started off my night on the second level of Hudson Terrace while I was waiting for my friends to meet me.  Well, thankfully those tardy bastards were predictably late in meeting me, so I got to linger around the vodka and caviar tasting that was being held to celebrate the launch of Vision Vodka.

They occupied the balcony/patio area outside on the second floor.  The space would fit about 50 to 60 people comfortably, but at the height of the event there were probably 100 people milling about trying to snatch a taste of the vodka.  The waitstaff was carrying around shots of straight vodka for people to try, which was a little too aggressive for me.  I moseyed my way to the back where bartenders were mixing cocktails that went down very smoothly.

So you know how I feel about ice sculptures – they’re just so awesome!   There was an ice sculpture of a liquor bottle on its side, which seemed pretty unimaginative at first.  But wait – it’s also an ice luge!! Now somehow I escape high school, college, and my early 20s not ever experience and ice luge, so seeing this fancy ice sculpture luge was a treat.  The vodka is poured in at the side of the bottle, and comes out the narrow neck.  Just like you’re pouring it from the bottle, immediately chilled!  Genius.

Opposite of the caviar table was a cigar table.  And of all the events I’ve been to, I’ve never been to an event giving away cigars, much less having a cigar man rolling the cigars right in front of you!  He kept to himself and was very focused on his work, and didn’t seem to pay any mind to everyone who was snatching up the cigars in front of him.  I know even less about cigars than I do about caviar, so you should just trust the guy from La Rosa Cubana Cigars to do you right (excellent cigars since 1958!).

There was a caviar tasting station of Caviar Petrossian Paris where the lovely caviar ladies would explain the origins of the caviar, the different tastes and what they should be paired with.  I’ve never really been exposed to caviar, but I tried the different flavors topped on crackers, cucumbers, and deviled eggs.  I was too scared to try the caviar by itself, though, fearing that the taste would overwhelm me – but paired along with the other food went very nicely.

So new is this vodka that there’s barely any news about it on their own website.  But, pick yourself up a bottle at Astor Wine and Spirits (there’s not even an image of the bottle on their site yet either), and at $30 for a liter, it’s vying for a spot up with Grey Goose/Belvedere quality at a slightly lower price.  Check it out and make yourself a cocktail!

Yours,
Von