In the latest exercise by a fast-food brand desperate for relevance, Roast Beef Arbie’s sandwich maker first appeared on French-flavored vodka This week. The vodka is available in two different flavors inspired by the different types of chips of the chain, in a curly and wrinkled cut, and is the kind of weird mashup that can end up with a crowd of followers.
The spirit of 80 proofs is distilled, of course, from potatoes, which is not uncommon in the world of vodka. A number of popular bottles are made from starchy root vegetables, including Chopin and Monopolova, both distilled in Poland. Arby’s vodka is produced on the state side, at the prestigious Minneapolis boat distillery Tetresal Refinery, Known for offerings like aged rum in barrel, wheat whiskey and aquavit.
Arby’s vodka may not sound as glorious as a Scandinavian spirit that has been in need since the 15th century and is made from all the organic ingredients, but Tattersall prepares it with the same level of meticulousness. The curly vodka is studded with cayenne, paprika, onion and garlic, probably the same combination of spices that awaits the real thing Barbie. Crinkle Fry vodka, which “respects the rich tradition of salty potato forms,” is broadcast in salt and sugar, a common combination in the fast-food world.
On the nose – I’m a sommelier now, thank you – Arbi’s vodka smells like any other vodka. The powerful rubbing alcohol-like punch that is hard to overcome even with the finest vodka scent, even with artificial flavors, but there is something a little salty in the curly vodka, different from the Crinkle Fry version. With the help of calamato, Worcestershire sauce and a little Lori seasoning salt, I mixed together a lazy Bloody Mary mixture and set out to conduct a highly scientific taste test to determine if Arbi’s vodka really tastes like French fries.
As I snatched a friend ahead of the challenge, I marked “curly” and “wrinkles” at the bottom, poured the Bloody Mary, and swapped the glasses on the table several times so we wouldn’t know which one. The first sample was indefinable, mostly tasted like a Bloody Mary mixture, but a sip from the second glass revived my taste buds.
Unreasonably, there was a clear difference between the two Bloody Mary. The glass with the curled vodka, we found, has a much more pronounced spice than the Crinkle Fry vodka, and the small punch of garlic and paprika gave the drink a fuller flavor profile. It was a particularly salty super, and that’s exactly what Bloody Mary should be. The curled vodka got better at Bloody Mary, and the addition of a little pickle juice would have really taken over.
This is not to say that Crinkla Fry vodka is bad. It’s incredibly smooth, and there’s a slight hint of sweetness in the suffix. Arby’s describes its taste as delicate, which is quite accurate. But we are talking here about a $ 60 bottle of vodka, and there is no real reason to waste money of this kind on vodka that does not bring so much in terms of flavor to the table. Maybe you can recreate the salty-sweet vibe simply by adding a little sugar to your Bloody Mary blend and using a reliable tito?
But the curly vodka offers something special. Flavored vodkas are not really innovative, but they tend to be cheap, low-cost liquors with exaggerated flavors like whipped cream and fake watermelon. Salty vodka is much rarer, besides occasional chili-soaked vodka and innovations like pickled vodka. There should be more salty infusions, especially given the presence of vodka in classic and unsweetened cocktails like Bloody Mary and Martini.
Whether Arbi’s vodka is worth $ 60 or not is a personal calculation. If you are planning a brunch and want to eat Bloody Mary lethal, it is definitely a good ingredient to have in such a situation. While this expensive bottle of vodka may be a marketing ploy designed to get people talking about Arby’s, it’s not a bad addition to a home bar. (But if you’re looking for vodka that tastes just like French fries, this is not it.)
When the brand announced the launch of this strangely satisfying vodka, it encountered equal parts skepticism – Why on earth did Arby’s, which had never served alcohol, enter the alcohol industry? – f enthusiasm. Oh, and jokes, lots of jokes. That was the goal from the jump – not for Arby’s to get into the vodka game, but for all of us to share our opinions on it on social media. However you feel about Barbie’s food, or their vodka, becoming meme it is invaluable.
