Early in my career, I remember stocking shelves and wondering to myself, “why are there so many brands of vodka?” After all, back then vodka was for bloody mary’s, vodka tonics and screwdrivers.

Fast forward thirty five years and I’m sure that today’s stock people must be saying “why are there so many FLAVORS of vodka?”

I just spent the last few days helping out with a remodel and shelf set changeover at one of our stores.  It happened to be a very large 8000 square foot monster of a store with what seemed like hundreds of different vodkas in that section.  Sure there are more brands than there were back in the 70′s, but what is mind-boggling to me is the range of flavors.

Nobody blinks twice when citrus, orange or cherry flavors are mentioned, but did you know that there is Bacon flavored vodka?  How about Whipped Cream, Swedish Fish (the candy, not kippers), and Butterscotch?  What can you do with Marshmallow flavored vodka?  Whatever you do, don’t mix it with Cinnamon, Cotton Candy or Bubble Gum flavors.

There’s an old expression, stop and smell the roses.  The modern day liquor store equivalent would be to stop and shop the vodka aisle at Spirits Unlimited.  It can take you a while to comprehend all of the choices and possible drink recipes you can experiment with.  Trust me, I’ve barely scratched the surface of the range of flavors that are available.  And boy, do they sell quickly!

What are your favorite flavors?

Donny Sanders