October 7, 2010

Need a wine break? Indulge with Godiva Vodka!

Wine is my vice. If I've had a stressful day and need to unwind, I can always rely on a glass to do the trick. If I want to celebrate, what better way to do so than with some bubbly. But even the versatility of wine, and occasions for drinking it, can sometimes play themselves out. And that's where other tasty crutches come into play.

Cue chocolate. Cue liquor. Cue both in the form of new Godiva Vodka! That's right, the world-renowned chocolatier is set to release it first namesake infused vodka this Fall and I had the privilege of attending its launch soiree on Wednesday night at Meet at the Apartment, a swanky apartment-like venue in NYC decked out in chic decor that leaves every Manhattanite saying, "When am I gonna make enough to get me one of these?!"

And it was the perfect venue space for an evening of luxury and entertaining, something that the Godiva name is notorious for (I mean, have you tried one of those chocolate covered strawberrys?)

Godiva teamed up with the vodka pros over at Diageo (they make Diddy's Ciroc too!) to develop this 5-times distilled premium spirit, which just so happens to be the first chocolate vodka to carry the name of a brand that is synonymous with true chocolate credentials (I'm a chocoholic, I should know!)

Executive Chef Chocolatier Thierry Muret was on site to counsel each of us on the development of the spirits and walk us through a tasting that truly brought to life the impeccable standards and premium nature of Godiva chocolate. We tasted two delectable flavors, Godiva Chocolate Infused Vodka and Chocolate Raspberry Infused Vodka:
  • Chocolate Infused Vodka - we drank it straight up, which immediately made me a bit apprehensive (let's just say I may have overdone the Smirnoff Twist my freshman year of college and now my cringe level for straight vodka is elevated!) To my surprise, this vodka was super smooth and really brought to life the dark chocolate, almost fudge brownie-like aromas and tastes of their infamous dark chocolate truffles. ($29/bottle)
  • Chocolate Raspberry Infused - truly an authentic spirit that captured the taste of freshly-picked, juicy red raspberries alongside subtle dark chocolate notes. I'm itching to try this one martini style! ($29/bottle)
But perhaps the most impressive thing about both these vodkas was what led me to them first place - their versatility. Each can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, whether you're drinking it straight up (like above) or combining it with other ingredients to make a decadent cocktail. And what better time to do that than with the holiday season right around the corner - you better believe we'll be serving this up at #WineDown Fall and Christmakah style in upcoming months. I've even captured some fun recipes that both use and don't use wine, so be sure to check back for more on that, as well as fun tips on entertaining from Top Chef - Just Desserts' Danielle Kyrillos... and of course, wine and chocolate pairing advice straight from the master himself, Chef Thierrey.

Check out some more of the fun below, and don't forget to visit www.drinkgodiva.com for more!

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