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Among cocktail connoisseurs, there's debate about whether anyone really needs flavored spirits. Aficionados suggest that adding fresh fruit juice makes drinks taste better than pre-mixed concoctions. After all, the vast majority of flavored vodkas use artificial ingredients. But not everyone wants to squeeze their own, and some fruits may not be available in certain parts of the country.
So it is a big deal when a company like Boz Spirits announces that it is selling only infusions -- booze made by steeping or soaking ripe fruit in alcohol. The company isn't making just one type of spirit: The 267 line includes vodkas, rums and tequilas. There are eight different infusions in all, including mango rum, orange tequila, cranberry vodka and olive-and-pearl onion vodka.
Take a look at the orange tequila and you'll see pulp. That's a good sign: very artisanal, homemade, small-batch. You can see the orange slices sitting in the bottle. The flavor is not nearly as sweet as you might imagine. The rind gives it a slight pleasant bitterness, which works well with the earthiness of the tequila (95 percent blue agave). The cranberry vodka, made with U.S. grain, is red. You will pour some berries (and they are tart) into your drink no matter how carefully you tilt the bottle. The other vodka, olive and onion, was smooth; obviously, it's ideal for a dirty martini, though perhaps a bit overly olive-y. The rum, distilled in Barbados, has several mango slices in the bottle and works the best of the bunch. All are 42 proof -- that's weaker than standard vodkas, tequilas and rums, but perfect if you just want to add ice and sip.
-- James Oliver Cury
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