So, a man walks into a bar… Chances are, these days, he’ll order a drink involving a flavored alcohol. Yes, these stylish liquors, enhanced with everything from zesty fruits to discreetly sweet vanilla, are here to stay, boosting the possibilities for all sorts of creative combinations.   

Vodka, according to Scott Clime, Passion Food Hospitality’s Wine & Beverage Director, is the perfect candidate to be infused with natural flavors, being an odorless, tasteless alcohol. Gin, he points out, already has the taste of juniper berries, and there’s no telling why a certain high-profile distillery [that will remain nameless] has created a tequila-flavored rum… Flavored alcohols are great, Clime says, for putting a twist on a traditional drink. At DC Coast, three of the top favorite mixed drinks feature these infused concoctions. The Coastal Cosmopolitan is made with Absolut Citron, Triple Sec, fresh lime, and a splash of cranberry juice. Another flavored vodka, Stoli Orange, shows up in the Bellini Martini, along with the standard Champagne and peach nectar, in this case the very same peach purée from which Pastry Chef David Guas creates his white peach sorbet. Finally, the Tuaca Sidecar contains brandy, Tuaca—a fine Italian orange and vanilla-flavored brandy—Triple Sec, and a splash of the housemade sweet and sour. 

The most popular of the eleven items on TenPenh’s special martini list is the TenPenhPolitan, the principal ingredient of which is Stoli Orange. From day one, men and women, young and old, can’t seem to get enough of this tangy twist on the standard ruby red Cosmopolitan—TenPenh’s version also features raspberry sake, a little cranberry juice, and a splash of lime. According to Carée Oslislo, the restaurant’s bar manager, TenPenh’s exclusive Good Fortune, a chocolate martini made with Stoli Vanilla and a clear chocolate liqueur and garnished with a chocolate-covered espresso bean, has also had tremendous staying power with the sweet-tooths waiting for their dinner tables. Yet another popular favorite on the list features a flavored alcohol, this time Stoli Raspberry, which imparts a nice sweetness to the Purple Passion, along with sake, crème de cassis, a touch of sour mix, and pineapple juice. Oslislo also reports that Stoli Raspberry and Sprite is a favorite at the bar, and that while Absolut Citron isn’t used so much at the restaurant, they do still get the occasional request for a Lemon Drop. Absolut Peppar finds its way into TenPenh’s Bloody Mary.    

So whatever you order next time you walk into a bar—at DC Coast or TenPenh—consider one of the drinks made with flavored alcohols. There’s a good reason everyone loves ‘em.