Vodka Fest Rocks at Cool River

As a guy with a strong background in marketing and market research, I am constantly amazed at the seemingly unending parade of new brands of vodka that hit the market each year along with established brands that add new flavored products to their lineups. What makes it interesting is that vodka is, by definition, “a neutral spirit without distinctive character.” Although many vodka producers and consumers would disagree with this definition, I think most average drinkers would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a blind tasting of say, Grey Goose, Crystal Head, Smirnoff, and whatever bottle costs the least at your local Twin Liquors store.

As I recently wandered through the booths at Cool River‘s annual Vodka Fest, I put my palate in high gear and did some serious tasting. Kettle One is made from potatoes, Dan Akroyd’s Crystal Head is filtered using diamonds, local favorite Tito’s is made from wheat and rye and Death’s Door vodka (love that name) is made from Wisconsin wheat. And then there’s the sexy Skinny Girl and the new Little Black Dress brands. Guess what, I could discern very little difference between any of these unflavored vodkas. That did not mean I didn’t enjoy drinking them. I did, however, really appreciate the little black dress that the pourer for that vodka brand was wearing.

And then I thought about my own preference: Belvedere. Why do I drink it? Perhaps it’s because of my half-Polish heritage and Belvedere is made in Poland with local ryes. Maybe it’s because my favorite comedian Chelsea Handler is always blabbing about it. Maybe I bought their marketing pitch about being the world’s “first super premium” vodka (whatever the hell that means). Maybe it was after I read the “tasting notes.” Faint hint of vanilla along with gentle characteristics of soft cream. Uh huh. The truth is I have no real idea why I drink Belvedere. And when pressed, I think most people who prefer a certain brand of vodka would be forced to admit the same. It’s marketing, plain and simple. The same techniques that made Miller Light a viable brand back in the 70’s (less filling-tastes great) work for vodkas today. I’m sure that has nothing to do with the fact that the average Russian consumes 4.3 gallons per year of vodka compared to 2.3 for Americans. We’re only about 800 years behind Russia in the vodka business.

But back to Vodka Fest. It is without doubt a fun night and lots of flavored vodkas stepped up. I think this direction is without question the future for the industry, particularly if they want to attract more female consumers. Last year Playboy’s new vodka (complete with bunny pourers) stole the show. This year, I did see a lot of traffic at the Little Black Dress booth. And I must admit my favorite pour of the night was their flavored Black Cherry Vanilla. Really nice to drink on the rocks or neat. Another fun pour was the Grey Goose White Creme de Minthe. Yet another flavor fav was the Skinny Girl Bare Naked Coconut. And 3 Olives Super Cola was a pretty tasty digression as well. Of course, I did not get to taste all the vodkas on hand: simply too many and they give you a wrist band with detachable tickets for each pour. Once they’re gone, you’re cut off. And that’s a good idea.

It is neat to see the attention that’s being given to vodkas made in and around Austin: Tito’s, Deep Eddy, Enchanted Rock, Dripping Springs, Savvy, Cinco just to name a few. But the props have to go to Tito Beveridge for putting Austin area vodkas on the national map. His is one hell of a success story, particularly for a “neutral spirit without distinctive character,” (lol). So make sure to put the last Wednesday in August 2013 (assuming the Mayans aren’t right) on your calender for the next Cool River Vodka Fest. Rest assured I’ll be there continuing my efforts to refine my tasting skills.