Lipstick Lifestyle

Give thanks to our Eastern European friends who brought us vodka, derived from the Slavic word for water, and the drink of choice in the eastern block. History isn’t clear on the original source country of vodka, but its popularity reigns throughout the vodka belt - Eastern Europe and Scandinavia (who are also the largest global consumers of vodka).

Tradition may dictate to drink it ice cold and straight up, but the rest of us prefer it either with a shot of soda or tonic water and a twist of lemon or lime, or in well-known cocktails such as a Caesar, Screwdriver or Cosmopolitan.

Distilled from rye, corn or wheat, popular brands have been generally sourced from Russia, Poland, Finland, Lithuania and Sweden. The current trend from the big boys have focused on bringing out flavoured vodkas, highlighted by fruit essences such as lemon, peach, berry and cranberry.

Canada has jumped into the territory with home grown Polar Ice Northern Maple vodka, flavoured with 100 per cent natural maple sugar. With its sweet maple flavour and undertone of vanilla, this vodka will warm you all over as the autumn winds blow us closer to winter.

Try this cocktail to chase away the fall chill:

THE SWEET PEAR COCKTAIL

Ingredients:
1 oz. Polar Ice Northern Maple vodka
4 oz. pear juice
2 oz. cranberry juice

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add Polar Ice Northern Maple vodka and top with pear and cranberry juices. Stir to mix and garnish with a pear slice.

Polar Ice Vodka
www.corby.ca
Available at your local liquor store and via Corby Distilleries