A Pricey Experiment in a Novelty Flavored Vodka
Notes: An interesting vodka that comes in tow varieties, regular more or less standard unflavored vodka and this their Red Velvet (Cake) Vodka. Red velvet cake itself is mostly thought of as a Southern dish ( read Southern North America) despite the fact it was and is still a very popular item at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC. Red Velvet cake involves ingredients such as vinegar, buttermilk and cocoa and uses a variety of frosting, some being cream cheese, others butter among other variations and always a lot of sugar. The vodka is made with a corn and wheat alcohol mixture and artificial flavorings to simulate a red velvet cake (taste).
Appearance: Clear, leaves a fairly thick coating on the glass when swirled with large droplets forming
First Impression: It does capture the red velvet buttermilk cocoa and vinegar components
Taste:Tastes like a Red Velvet cake but in a artificial, slightly chemical way.
Drinks: Most of their cocktail recipes were… shall we say uninspired
Bottle: Interesting frosted clear glass hexagon with a slightly smaller bottom to it Tallish bottle topped by a tall matte black cap with a shiny dark red metallic seal/button emblazoned with a stylized “Z”. Calligraphic Lettering written on one side/facet of the bottle going from bottom to top “Zing” with a picture/graphic or a slice of red velvet cake. One of the more amusing ( on a good day – on a bad day we might say obnoxious) features is a small button on the bottom of the bottle that activates a red LED light that illuminates the entire bottle. One push is a pulsing flash, another a steady red, then off. Almost makes you tempted to use it as an emergency flasher light for your car in case of a breakdown. But if you did I would make damn sure it is completely washed out of vodka and you are stone cold sober, as the police may not share your aesthetic or sense of humor.
Other: Having never been a big fan of Red Velvet cake to start with, it is hard for me to evaluate this product.
Final Thoughts: Far too expensive for a artificially flavored vodka to recommend it. It is what I would call a novelty flavor and an amusing one, but the price is just too much for what it is. Buy a bottle of decent vodka and a Red Velvet Cake instead.
Website: http://www.zingvodka.com
Fairly simple website with not a lot of information on actual ingredients or distillation