Nowadays you can’t go to a bar without seeing an array of Pinnacle Vodka bottles. Pinnacle comes in 30 different flavors (including vodka flavored vodka). Pinnacle isn’t alone. All the major vodka companies, Three Olives, Absolut, and others have flavored vodkas that have branched away from simple fruit-infused flavors. Our cocktail menu has become inundated with cake vodka, cookie dough vodka, and everyone’s favorite whipped cream vodka. Even something as timeless as a highball glass full of whiskey can be bacon-infused. The infused liquor trend is bound to continue as companies try to out do their competition with more creative, and most likely strange, flavors. Imagine Willy Wonkas’ 3-course chewing gum was in liquor form. Why eat when you can knock back some shots instead? Your other choice is to eat actual foods that are prepared by adding liquor to their recipes. No matter your DOC (drink of choice), unless you regularly drink Three Olives Bubble Gum, you’ll be able to find a delicious meal or snack using whatever liquor wets your whistle best.

 

 

 

  

Bourbon/Whiskey: Daddy-O (44 Bedford Street) offers a Sweet Treats dessert menu that pairs four bourbon-infused cookies and cake with a shot glass of bourbon that compliments the dessert. Like infused-liquors, macarons are everywhere and Daddy-O is no exception. Try their chocolate macaron with bourbon-infused dulce de leche cream. Another delicious choice for bourbon lovers is the Marker’s Mark Vanilla Bourbon Crème Brûlée donut made by The Cinnamon Snail, an organic, vegan food truck. The donut is such a good display of using bourbon in a recipe that it won a 2011 Vendy Award for doing just that.

 

 

 

Wine: Both red and white wines are used in seafood dishes, especially pasta dishes. Stop by Esca,  and try James Beard award-winning  Executive Chef, Dave Pasternack’s linguine with little gem clams, hot peppers, and pancetta may be the cities most divine pasta in the entire city. The clams are cooked in a white wine broth until opened giving the overall taste of the dish a certain freshness not found when clams are not in their shells when cooked. 

Mezcal: Made from the agave plant, mezcal is tequilas sister liquor, with the worm found at the bottom of its bottle.  Like many liquors, mezcal pairs well with all sorts of fish. At Mayahuel (304 East 6^th Street) they serve traditional Mexican fare with modern touches that create their wonderful small tapas plates ideal for sharing. Their ceviche, on the bigger plate menu, is made from sushi-grade tuna that has been marinated in mezcal. The tuna is served over crisp plantains and a coconut avocado moose.

Rum: Instantly transport your senses to the relaxing vibes of a Caribbean island with Sugarcane’s stylish Caribbean food. A must try is their Heritage Stew Chicken entrée. The chicken is cooked with brown sugar, Old Oak rum from Trinidad and Tobago, and Spanish thyme. Sugarcane Restaurant (238 Flatbush Ave, BK) was voted the best Caribbean restaurant in New York City because of its true West Indian atmosphere and authentic foods. 

Sake: Sake is a Japanese rice wine that can be used, for sake bombs, and in dishes. Brushstroke (30 Hudson Street  ) is great for a special occasion and offers 6, 8, or 10-course dinners that are beautifully presented in a stunning and unique atmosphere. For a sake-infused dish try the Grilled Black Cod marinated in Koji rice and sake, lees tomato-infused maple syrup, and broccoli robe puree.

Beer: Place all over the city have beer-battered onion rings and fish and chips on the menu but for something a bit different head over to Brooklyn to try The Sunburnt Calf (611 Vanderbilt Ave, BK). Serving up Asian fusion with Australian flare, try their Tumeric Beer-Battered Barramundi fillet served with dill over a bed of vermicelli noodles. The batter is infused with a Foster’s, an Aussie beer. Check out their Facebook for more info.