07/09/2009 Halogen Life
BY Robert Haynes-Peterson, Thursday Jul. 09, 2009
In honor of the New Orleans booze mecca event Tales of the Cocktail, we… present a special week of cocktail-related Bar Tab articles.
Just when you thought the landscape of flavored and infused vodkas couldn’t get any more unusual, along come two labels from the Left Coast with protein angles, perfect for those Steak-and-Potatoes type. From Black Rock Distillery in Seattle comes Bakon, a bacon-flavored vodka, while California is bringing us a protein-infused grain spirit called Devotion, which could practically become a supplement drink at the gym. Do I smell a trend, or is that just breakfast?
“I’ve owned nightclubs and restaurants for 20 years, but I also like to stay in shape,” says Devotion Spirits founder and president Drew Adelman. “It’s a tough balance, when you’re up til 4am, exhausting your body. That’s where Devotion grew out of. I was putting a case of protein at each nightclub, mixing it with a sugar cranberry drink, and then vodka. I began contacting chemists, doing the research and getting approval from both the TTB and FDA. I also wanted to create a great vodka.”
Devotion (because everyone’s devoted to something) is, according to Adelman, the first vodka infused with actual casein (whey) protein (from a Dutch company called PeptoPro). “The Dutch athletes at the Beijing Olympics were putting this stuff in their beers.”
All well and good, but how does it taste? The launch party (in California) takes place in August or September (followed by distribution in 10 Western states), so I have to take Adelman at his word. He swears the casein additive mellows the vodka (and it just might, something akin to a vodka-heavy White Russian).
“I’ve done taste tests with several different groups, and men and women both remark how smooth the vodka is,” he says. “One woman called it ‘the Chardonnay of Vodkas’ [is that a compliment? -Ed]. The whey cuts the vodka and adds a softness, and it just becomes really great tasting.”
Are you, the imbiber, enjoying any benefit from the protein infusions? While Adelman isn’t allowed to make health claims, he does feel that those watching their weight or trying to pack on the muscle could consider Devotion at least the lesser of evils when it comes to drinking.
“Our motto is, if you’re gonna be bad, be good. If you’re going to drink, and you have two vodkas in front of you and one has a little bit of protein in it, why not go for it?” I can definitely see muscle-bound Wall Street types asking for this one.
Adelman is indeed courting those with a penchant for the gym: His connections with UFC fighters are paying off he says (“those guys party like rock stars”), but he insists Devotion is also perfect for the housewife or the active woman watching her weight. “At the end of the day, she can enjoy a great-tasting, guilt-free martini.” (About $28).
