It’s rare to hear spirit distillers speak of vintages, a term typically reserved for vintners. But this is indeed the niche that Kauffman Vodka has carved out for itself.

Russian businessman Mark Kaufman wanted to develop a brand of his country’s national spirit that would rank among the best in the world. He set out to create an exclusive, luxury brand of vodka that could stand on the same footing as some of the world’s finest wines, Cognacs and whiskys.

The result is Kauffman Vodka. Produced in one of Russia’s top distilleries, every step of this vodka’s production process is strictly controlled and only the highest standards are kept in mind. Kauffman Vodka is filtered through birch charcoal columns and quartz sand. Some bottles are distilled as many as 14 times for the purest flavor, while other Kauffman’s are distilled a mere eight times (note that some of the upper-end commercial vodkas boast between three and five distillation processes). The result of all this hard work is a soft, subtle and delicate drink with a faint scent of roasted bread crust and slight taste of mint.

What sets Kauffman Vodka apart, however, is the fact that it is the world’s first spirit produced only in vintage years. This bottle is produced only in years when the wheat crop is at its best and, even then, it’s created in tiny batches to ensure quality.

Kauffman Vodka has only been produced since 2000. Kauffman is known as one of the best brand names on the market. In 2004, this luxury vodka won two of three gold medals in the International Wine & Spirit Challenge.

VodkaKauffman.com
$150 per 750 ml bottle.

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Tequila’s popularity has soared since the turn of the century, so much so that it became the spirit that saw the greatest increase in its production volume in the U.S. in 2006. That’s not bad for a drink that was traditionally swilled by Mexican farmers and peasants.

It won’t take you long to see why Milagro’s Select Barrel Reserve Reposado was awarded a double gold medal at a 2007 San Francisco spirit selection.

This luxury tequila is crafted from handpicked agave harvested from the highlands of Jalisco and triple distilled for the best depth of flavor, character and unparalleled smoothness. The heart of the blue agave is roasted in clay ovens made from the same volcanic-rich soil where the blue agave flourishes in Mexico. After distillation, the spirit is aged for three years in French single-oak barrels before being bottled in unique hand-blown crystal bottles with agave plants blown into the bottom of the glass. In this case, luxury may be an understatement.

In the glass, look for a warm and full-bodied spirit with a pale straw color. You’ll pick up notes of sweet honey and dried flowers on the nose, and flavors of honey, toast, peppery spice, and prune on the tongue.

$77 for 750 ml bottle.

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Jean-Marc XO vodka is hand-crafted in the Cognac region of France using specially selected, pure local ingredients.  Jean-Marc XO vodka is distilled nine times in very small batches using French copper Alambic stills, and is then micro-oxygenated and charcoal filtered through Limousin oak.  This process takes weeks to complete.  The result is an extraordinary vodka possessing a floral bouqet, complex and elegant flavors, a silky texture, and a very long finish.  Jean-Marc XO has raised the craft of vodka making into a fine art. 

The philosophy of Jean-Marc XO is quality over quantity (remember it takes weeks to filter the small batches of this vodka).  It is this philosophy that has led Jean-Marc XO to become the world’s most revered ultra premium vodka.

Unlike a lot of vodka, this one should not be chilled much but served at a warmer temperature to appreciate it, likewise mixing it almost seems a crime. It really is quite nice sipped from a decent glass at room temperature. The complexity and structure of the vodka contributes greatly to the overall quality of a cocktail, but don’t bury it with other ingredients.

Jean-Marc XO might be one of the most critically acclaimed vodkas ever created.  It has recevied the following awards: International Five Star Diamond Award, Vodka of the Year from The Beverage Testing Institute, it is the only vodka ever to be honored by the American Academy of Hospitality Services, and it received a platinum metal from the International Review of Spirits.

Newsweek said Jean-Marc XO vodka is, “A supersleek taste with plum and cinnamon accents.  Worth every penny.”

Food & Wine declares, “This is better than any vodka I’ve ever had.  It’s as silky and classically elegant as an hermes scarf.”

JMXO.com
$65

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We’re sure nobody wants to waste any Grey Goose, but you still might like what Horizon Fuel Cell’s Energy Discovery Kit can do. Apparently, this small apparatus can turn tiny amounts of alcohol into electricity that can power a small device like an iPod.

According to a press release, the kit features a fuel cell powered desktop fan that uses a 90-percent water, and 10-percent ethanol mix as the source fuel for transforming an electrochemical reaction into electrical energy. The device can basically generate small amounts of power for days, even weeks, in order to charge small devices using diluted household alcohol such as vodka.

The kit itself is being marketed to students, aspiring scientists, teachers and engineers as a simple educational product that retails for $99, which makes it affordable enough for anyone to try out. Besides, having a device like this one will ensure no alcohol is wasted at your next party.

Available at horizenfuelcell.com.
$99

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Whiskey is harder to value than wine, but its longevity makes it a worthy option for collectors.

If you have savored a rare Courvoisier that was already old when Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815, then you’ll know that like Princess Aurora, this sleeping beauty is still in great shape. The reason? Spirits may not mature in the bottle like wine, but they don’t deteriorate either. The brandy - or whisky - that pleased an emperor two centuries ago would do the same today.

The following five bottles will provide some solid returns if you hang onto them - or some liquid ones should you prefer to drink them.

1. Rosebank

12 years old; Flora & Fauna Series Distillery Release
$74
Rosebank is a “lost” (defunct) distillery, and stocks are dwindling fast. This very sensible price can only go up.

2. Port Ellen

Annual distillery release; any of the seven releases
$253 to $673
Port Ellen has two things going for it: It’s from the island of Islay, currently whisky’s hottest region, and it has a big following. It is also a lost distillery. The price for this whisky seems to go up with every new bottling released.

3. Brora

30 years old; annual distillery release; any of the six releases
$329 to $396
Another lost distillery, discovered by collectors only a few years ago. Demand has been phenomenal.

4. Glenfarclas

50 years old
$2,021
Most 50-year-old whiskies released nowadays are between $6,000 and $12,000 a bottle, so this Speyside gem, matured in sherry casks, is a steal.

5. Black Bowmore

1964; 42 years old
$3,539
Now a cult whisky but still undervalued. This is from one of the distillery’s last few oloroso sherry casks of the 1964 vintage. Lots of upside potential.

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The cocktail pictured above looks like a work of art, which is fitting because it was concocted in honor of a famous work of art. It is as delicious as it is beautiful!

The Coloring Book, a cocktail tribute to one of the oversized Jeff Koons sculptures on show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s rooftop, was created by Met wine and spirits director Thierry Pradines, and it’s proving to be a big hit at the Roof Garden Café. Thierry riffed off Koons’ 10-foot abstraction of Winnie the Pooh’s friend Piglet to create his multi-hued martini ($12). “I wanted to capture the child like spirit of the piece, so I used colored cubes of Jell-O,” says Thierry. Headds vodka, tequila, triplesec, rum, gin and Sprite to the cubes to create a drink that tastes like a sweet Long Island iced tea.

The eye catching concoction is not the only cocktail shaken in honor of “Jeff Koons On the Roof.” Koons’ iconic Balloon Dog sculpture also has a matching drink. The golden martini ($12) — which echoes the shiny yellow hue of the artwork — is a fruity mix of vodka, elder flower cordial and sparkling pear juice. Like the smile-inducing pieces that inspired them, the Met’s cocktails add a touch of whimsy to the views of Central Park and the city skyline. Get in line to sip one before the summer is out.

Cocktails are served Tuesday through Sunday on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. (at 82ndSt.); 212-535-7710.

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Call it liquid luxury.

Premium distiller W. M. Mendis & Co. Ltd., have announced that the world’s first ultra-premium coconut brandy bottle will be presented for sale at $1,000,000. Yep, that’s a million dollars.

“We have decided to offer the first coconut brandy bottle ever for $1,000,000 to the public. This bottle will be signed and numbered by the founder of our distillery and will come with a certificate of authenticity. The purchaser will be provided with a luxury trip and personal security for the bottle.”

But what makes this product so special? Mendis coconut brandy is a 100% all-natural clear brandy distilled from the essence of the coconut flower. It is matured for a minimum of two years in Hamilla wood casks. Mendis has a subtle taste of coconut with a “velvety sweet texture and unmatched smoothness.” The product can be experienced neat or on the rocks and offers limitless options for mixing as a clear spirit. That sounds great, but is it $1,000,000 great?

According to the Mendis website, it doesn’t seem that anyone has ponied up the $1,000,000. Here is what your million will get you exactly:

For $1,000,000 you get to own the first ultra-luxury bottle of Mendis coconut brandy ever produced.

The purchaser of the bottle will be provided with a luxurious First Class flight and seven day stay in Maldives. They will then island hop by private helicopter, over to Sri Lanka where they will have a personal tour of the distillery by the found of The House of Mendis, W.M. Mendis himself. At the end of the tour, they will receive the $1,000,000 bottle which can be signed and numbered by Mr. W.M. Mendis. The bottle will come with a certificate of authenticity from the House of Mendis.

What I find interesting about this whole thing is that usually when a bottle of liquor is deemed valuable, it is collectors that determine the value. It seems here that Mr. Mendis just slapped a ridiculous price tag on the item. I much prefer my snooty liquor to taste good and have a high, but publically affordable price, as it should be. Extremely rare scotches might go for tens of thousands of dollars, but there are big differences there. 1.) In those cases there were usually only a limited number of those bottles produced. The coconut brandy seems to be the only product in the House of Mendis, so it will likely be massed produced. 2.) Collectors tend might spend unsightly amounts of money on rare and exclusive bottles, but only time will tell if this coconut brandy will be rare and exclusive. Likewise, the company has yet to prove their value and the coconut brandy is a brand new product.

Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe there is some very rich, and probably young, person who will try the coconut brandy and will write Mr. Mendis a check on the spot. Actually, I bet that is what he is counting on.  I think there is some proof of that in this video.

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