Black Truffle
Infused exclusively during the
season, the telltale scents of
port, rich soil, pineapple and
chocolate make this a first-class
libation.
Wonderful with risotto, roasts,
lobster, escargot, boeuf
bourguignon, earthy cheeses.
Candied Ginger
Reminiscent of trips to the
Orient, candied ginger is sweet
and demure one moment and
assertive the next.
A natural pairing for sushi,
seared tuna, shrimp and mango
curry, Jamaican spice cake.
Celery Peppercorn
The ultimate power drink. The
celery's green bouquet is
complemented by savory spices
and a touch of heat from
Malabar peppercorn and dried
red chilies.
Bold enough to serve on its own
or paired with steaks,
charcuterie, cold tomato soup,
ceviche and grilled seafood.
Chocolate Orange
Premium semisweet Belgian
chocolate and succulent
California oranges prolong
memories of winter holidays,
wood fires and soufflés.
Ideal as a dessert drink or with
semi-sweet desserts,
home-made truffles and vanilla
semifreddo.
Grapefruit Honey
Clean, sharp and vivid,
grapefruit honey is mildly tart
with a hint of bitterness and a
touch of sweetness from a
dollop of honey.
Serve with seared sea scallops,
cold shrimp, poached fish, roast
chicken.
Pear Lavender
Combining the lingering
sweetness of pears with a light
touch of lavender creates an
intimate and delicate infusion. It
is our ode to poetry.
Serve with grilled pork chops,
fois gras, dry cheeses, crème
brûlée, cheesecakes.
Tea
Sophisticated and slightly
mysterious, this infusion
highlights nuances of flower
petals and rare fruits. Three
remarkable tea blends from
Paris are steeped to create a
highly complex spirit ideal to
serve as an aperitif or digestif.
Serve with caviar, smoked/dried
fish, duck, kabobs and pilafs
with dry fruit and nuts.
Infused exclusively during the
season, the telltale scents of
port, rich soil, pineapple and
chocolate make this a first-class
libation.
Wonderful with risotto, roasts,
lobster, escargot, boeuf
bourguignon, earthy cheeses.
Candied Ginger
Reminiscent of trips to the
Orient, candied ginger is sweet
and demure one moment and
assertive the next.
A natural pairing for sushi,
seared tuna, shrimp and mango
curry, Jamaican spice cake.
Celery Peppercorn
The ultimate power drink. The
celery's green bouquet is
complemented by savory spices
and a touch of heat from
Malabar peppercorn and dried
red chilies.
Bold enough to serve on its own
or paired with steaks,
charcuterie, cold tomato soup,
ceviche and grilled seafood.
Chocolate Orange
Premium semisweet Belgian
chocolate and succulent
California oranges prolong
memories of winter holidays,
wood fires and soufflés.
Ideal as a dessert drink or with
semi-sweet desserts,
home-made truffles and vanilla
semifreddo.
Grapefruit Honey
Clean, sharp and vivid,
grapefruit honey is mildly tart
with a hint of bitterness and a
touch of sweetness from a
dollop of honey.
Serve with seared sea scallops,
cold shrimp, poached fish, roast
chicken.
Pear Lavender
Combining the lingering
sweetness of pears with a light
touch of lavender creates an
intimate and delicate infusion. It
is our ode to poetry.
Serve with grilled pork chops,
fois gras, dry cheeses, crème
brûlée, cheesecakes.
Tea
Sophisticated and slightly
mysterious, this infusion
highlights nuances of flower
petals and rare fruits. Three
remarkable tea blends from
Paris are steeped to create a
highly complex spirit ideal to
serve as an aperitif or digestif.
Serve with caviar, smoked/dried
fish, duck, kabobs and pilafs
with dry fruit and nuts.
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Picture it, graduate school. The field of study is journalism. Melkon bumps into Litty and they become friends. Eventually
they become more than just friends. Before too long the two are inseparable. Melkon proposes and now Litty is part of the
family.
But there’s one small problem. “My side [of the family] is from Armenia. In Armenia like some parts of Northern Europe
and Eastern Europe, we drink spirits with meals unlike wine. And Litty hated the taste and burn of straight vodka which is
what all of my relatives would serve her every time we go over to their meals and they would also use the vodka to toast
her,” Melkon explains.
So what’s a husband to do? Pretty soon Melkon started tinkering in the kitchen to create a kindler, gentler vodka for Litty’s
palate. But neither one of them could comprehend one day quitting their jobs to totally devote their lives to the process of
vodka making.
It started as a slow evolution by creating only a couple of flavors and sharing them with cousins and friends. But then the
requests for more continued to come in. Pretty soon Melkon and Litty had a serious kitchen table discussion on whether
or not to make this hobby into a money making venture.
they become more than just friends. Before too long the two are inseparable. Melkon proposes and now Litty is part of the
family.
But there’s one small problem. “My side [of the family] is from Armenia. In Armenia like some parts of Northern Europe
and Eastern Europe, we drink spirits with meals unlike wine. And Litty hated the taste and burn of straight vodka which is
what all of my relatives would serve her every time we go over to their meals and they would also use the vodka to toast
her,” Melkon explains.
So what’s a husband to do? Pretty soon Melkon started tinkering in the kitchen to create a kindler, gentler vodka for Litty’s
palate. But neither one of them could comprehend one day quitting their jobs to totally devote their lives to the process of
vodka making.
It started as a slow evolution by creating only a couple of flavors and sharing them with cousins and friends. But then the
requests for more continued to come in. Pretty soon Melkon and Litty had a serious kitchen table discussion on whether
or not to make this hobby into a money making venture.
|
After much soul searching and discussion,
Melkon and Litty decided to become
entrepreneurs and thus Modern Spirits
Vodka was born. But before they could
celebrate, they first had to do intense
research, homework, and analysis before
they could officially open up for business.
“We studied as much as we could about
the industry and talked to the regulators
that controlled who goes in and who could
exist as a spirits manufacturer,” Melkon
adds. However, Melkon and Litty’s skills
were complementary so their first step of
building a business together was simply a
matter of marrying their skills just as they
had married each other.
Litty, attended cooking school in Paris but
studied marketing and journalism in
graduate school. So she was charged with
strategizing and keeping the business lock
and step with the evolving spirits industry.
She also adds that the inspiration for
creating new vodka flavors comes from
different sources.
“We take a lot of inspiration from so many
sources. Chefs are big inspiration because
they’re willing to experiment and try new
things, try new ingredients. But it’s also a
little bit of what’s available. We work with
agricultural researchers sometimes for our
testing new varieties of citrus, fruits and
vegetables and see what their doing and
what’s coming down the line in the next
few years. So we’re always thinking
ahead to see what our new ingredients
are,” Litty explains.
But it isn’t all work and no play throughout
their continual marketing analysis, research
and development. Litty adds that another
source of inspiration for their vodka
making is their mutual travel.
Melkon and Litty decided to become
entrepreneurs and thus Modern Spirits
Vodka was born. But before they could
celebrate, they first had to do intense
research, homework, and analysis before
they could officially open up for business.
“We studied as much as we could about
the industry and talked to the regulators
that controlled who goes in and who could
exist as a spirits manufacturer,” Melkon
adds. However, Melkon and Litty’s skills
were complementary so their first step of
building a business together was simply a
matter of marrying their skills just as they
had married each other.
Litty, attended cooking school in Paris but
studied marketing and journalism in
graduate school. So she was charged with
strategizing and keeping the business lock
and step with the evolving spirits industry.
She also adds that the inspiration for
creating new vodka flavors comes from
different sources.
“We take a lot of inspiration from so many
sources. Chefs are big inspiration because
they’re willing to experiment and try new
things, try new ingredients. But it’s also a
little bit of what’s available. We work with
agricultural researchers sometimes for our
testing new varieties of citrus, fruits and
vegetables and see what their doing and
what’s coming down the line in the next
few years. So we’re always thinking
ahead to see what our new ingredients
are,” Litty explains.
But it isn’t all work and no play throughout
their continual marketing analysis, research
and development. Litty adds that another
source of inspiration for their vodka
making is their mutual travel.
| Their Very Next Step |
“We’re also inspired by the journeys we
take by travel and finding new ingredients
in perhaps in a different place and thinking
this has a place in what we’re doing and
what we’re making and so we draw from
that as well. It’s from a lot of different
inspirations,” she explains.
Meanwhile Melkon’s in the laboratory
creating the right balance and mouth
weight for their different vodkas. He’s the
technical guru of the two. He explains in
very clear terms what exactly he goes
through in developing vodka that can be
paired with food as is the case with wine.
In fact this has been his biggest challenge,
changing the mindset of people who cannot
comprehend drinking vodka so good that it
can be used with a meal.
“It’s something that is very foreign to most
people, at least in the US. Until someone
tastes our vodka it’s really difficult for
most people to imagine just how good they
taste. If you talk to the average vodka
drinker, flavored vodka to them doesn’t
evoke something that they would want to
have with a meal because it’s mostly made
with artificial ingredients or extracts and
has as a very one dimensional quality to it.
Whereas what we make is sort of like
wine. It’s got delicacy, it’s got structure
that complements a variety of foods and it
has a balance among all the flavors in it,”
he meticulously explains.
Litty chimes in adding that “The trick is to
find a combination that’s going to work
really well in the glass. That’s really the
test. You can put crazy ingredients together
but if it’s not going to be tasty when you’
re having something to eat or drink with it,
if it’s not going to be a great pairing item
then that’s going to be something that we’
re not going to use and then try something
else.”
take by travel and finding new ingredients
in perhaps in a different place and thinking
this has a place in what we’re doing and
what we’re making and so we draw from
that as well. It’s from a lot of different
inspirations,” she explains.
Meanwhile Melkon’s in the laboratory
creating the right balance and mouth
weight for their different vodkas. He’s the
technical guru of the two. He explains in
very clear terms what exactly he goes
through in developing vodka that can be
paired with food as is the case with wine.
In fact this has been his biggest challenge,
changing the mindset of people who cannot
comprehend drinking vodka so good that it
can be used with a meal.
“It’s something that is very foreign to most
people, at least in the US. Until someone
tastes our vodka it’s really difficult for
most people to imagine just how good they
taste. If you talk to the average vodka
drinker, flavored vodka to them doesn’t
evoke something that they would want to
have with a meal because it’s mostly made
with artificial ingredients or extracts and
has as a very one dimensional quality to it.
Whereas what we make is sort of like
wine. It’s got delicacy, it’s got structure
that complements a variety of foods and it
has a balance among all the flavors in it,”
he meticulously explains.
Litty chimes in adding that “The trick is to
find a combination that’s going to work
really well in the glass. That’s really the
test. You can put crazy ingredients together
but if it’s not going to be tasty when you’
re having something to eat or drink with it,
if it’s not going to be a great pairing item
then that’s going to be something that we’
re not going to use and then try something
else.”
But The Work Doesn’t Stop There
Being studied, researched, and inspired in order to find he right flavors that pair with certain foods is only part of the
process. Vodka is neutral and colorless but there are two main ingredients that are used in its manufacturing - wheat
and potato. Melkon explains that “Wheat has the ability to dissipate very quickly in your month and evokes lightness”
while potato “has higher starch content, doesn’t dissipate as quickly so you swallow more of it and it feels heavier
more lingering.” Hence Melkon has to carefully calibrate the proper mouth blend and mouth weight as both ingredients
are used in their vodka flavors.
“We then infuse real ingredients into our alcohol mixture, layering various ingredients over time. Our vodkas are then
minimally processed to retain full flavors and jewel-like coloring – something good enough to sip,” Melkon adds.
process. Vodka is neutral and colorless but there are two main ingredients that are used in its manufacturing - wheat
and potato. Melkon explains that “Wheat has the ability to dissipate very quickly in your month and evokes lightness”
while potato “has higher starch content, doesn’t dissipate as quickly so you swallow more of it and it feels heavier
more lingering.” Hence Melkon has to carefully calibrate the proper mouth blend and mouth weight as both ingredients
are used in their vodka flavors.
“We then infuse real ingredients into our alcohol mixture, layering various ingredients over time. Our vodkas are then
minimally processed to retain full flavors and jewel-like coloring – something good enough to sip,” Melkon adds.
| |||||||||||
| Where They Stand Today |
Less than a year ago, probably one of Melkon’s and Litty’s biggest accomplishments was that their vodka was being stocked by the Ritz Carlton in Los Angeles. Today
Modern Spirits Vodka is sold in 9 American states and rapidly growing. So what do they attribute to their expanding success???
Well Litty explains that throwing in the towel is not an option. “We burned all the towels! We’re committed to Modern Spirits for the long term and to change the landscape
of vodka by bringing it to the dining table. Nothing works like putting our vodkas to the test. To demonstrate how well they complement food, we organize vodka pairing
dinners around the country.”
So word of mouth has carried them marching with vodka bottles in hand across the country from Los Angeles to New York City and Washington DC. Litty adds that the
idea took about two years to go from occasional hobby to something they thought could become a viable business. “Once we decided to give it a go, it took us a year to find
a suitable factory space and get all five thousand licenses and permits. Modern Spirits is now almost two years old,” she adds.
Working from sun up to sun down on a new business venture is challenging but maintaining a marriage is even more challenging. Now combine the two together and there’s
much time spent between Melkon and Litty. So how do they make it work?
“We’re strangely compatible. We say it’s like being married in dog years since we work/live together 24 hours a day” Melkhon jokes, adding that “We’ve been friends for a
very long time and that probably contributes to our general harmony.” Litty agrees, adding that there is also a mutual thrill of “working on something entrepreneurial, you get
to create something together.”
“Together” is obviously the key behind Melkon and Litty’s success. Whether they decide to push or pull their little red wagon called Modern Spirits Vodka, their company is
here to stay. To learn more about their company, access their website at www.modernspiritsvodka.com.
Herndon L. Davis is an author, lecturer, and TV/Radio Host. He can be reached directly at www.herndondavis.com
Copyrighted 2006
Modern Spirits Vodka is sold in 9 American states and rapidly growing. So what do they attribute to their expanding success???
Well Litty explains that throwing in the towel is not an option. “We burned all the towels! We’re committed to Modern Spirits for the long term and to change the landscape
of vodka by bringing it to the dining table. Nothing works like putting our vodkas to the test. To demonstrate how well they complement food, we organize vodka pairing
dinners around the country.”
So word of mouth has carried them marching with vodka bottles in hand across the country from Los Angeles to New York City and Washington DC. Litty adds that the
idea took about two years to go from occasional hobby to something they thought could become a viable business. “Once we decided to give it a go, it took us a year to find
a suitable factory space and get all five thousand licenses and permits. Modern Spirits is now almost two years old,” she adds.
Working from sun up to sun down on a new business venture is challenging but maintaining a marriage is even more challenging. Now combine the two together and there’s
much time spent between Melkon and Litty. So how do they make it work?
“We’re strangely compatible. We say it’s like being married in dog years since we work/live together 24 hours a day” Melkhon jokes, adding that “We’ve been friends for a
very long time and that probably contributes to our general harmony.” Litty agrees, adding that there is also a mutual thrill of “working on something entrepreneurial, you get
to create something together.”
“Together” is obviously the key behind Melkon and Litty’s success. Whether they decide to push or pull their little red wagon called Modern Spirits Vodka, their company is
here to stay. To learn more about their company, access their website at www.modernspiritsvodka.com.
Herndon L. Davis is an author, lecturer, and TV/Radio Host. He can be reached directly at www.herndondavis.com
Copyrighted 2006
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