It seems like every time I go to my favorite watering holes, the liquor shelves keep stretching to accommodate new products, new flavors and new packaging.
"Cocktails have become the latest fashion accessory," says Robert Keane, spokesman for Adams Beverage Group, in a statement from Rémy. "Colorful, flavorful drinks, made with premium and luxury brands and served in attractive glassware, make a statement about the consumer in much the same way as a designer wardrobe, but at a much more affordable cost."
What's hot in Vegas, the city with one of the fastest-growing segments of cocktail drinkers, is Remy Red from Rémy Martin, a cognac-based fruit liqueur that is 32 proof and packaged in a sophisticated, curvy, frosted bottle. It has three seductive fusions of fresh, sweet fruit flavors and a smooth, exciting taste.
The infusions are: red berry, a blend of red berries, peaches and apricots with an attractive, seducing red hue; kiwi-strawberry, combining strawberries and kiwis with hints of orange to produce a luminescent pink, sexy color; and grape berry, a medley of grapes, blueberries and apples, producing a vibrant, hip purple color.
Rémy Martin is generating excitement for all its brands, in particular Rémy Red, with a series of cutting-edge, invitation-only urbanity events, featuring celebrities such as Beyoncé, Eminem, Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Usher and Nelly.
It's definitively aimed at the younger, entry-level consumer, the soda-pop generation who grew up on a variety of flavored beverages like soda, energy drinks and flavored teas. The consumption of cocktails and mixed drinks is growing particularly among these young, affluent drinkers, and the major driver of growth is flavors.
Whether served chilled, straight up, on the rocks, or with juice or your mixer of choice, Rémy fruit-liqueurs are definite crowd-pleasers. Here are some recipes to try, including the chop-chop, available from Stations Casinos' steak houses, Bouchon at the Venetian, Prana at the Aladdin, and several other places around town.
Chop-Chop
1 ounce Rémy Red Berry
1 ounce Grand Marnier
1 ounce orange juice
1 ounce passion fruit coulis (sweetened puree)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Shake with ice and serve straight up or on the rocks with a float of Myers's dark rum. Garnish with an orange twist and ground nutmeg. For a brunch-style drink, top up with champagne instead of rum.
Rémy South Beach
2 ounces Rémy Red Berry
3 ounces red zinfandel
Splash of pineapple, orange and lime juice
Shake or build over ice and fill up with lemon soda or lime Perrier. Garnish with fresh pineapple and an orange slice.
Rémy She Devil
1 1/2 ounces Rémy Red Berry
1 1/2 ounces Absolut vanilia
Splash of cranberry and fresh lime juice
Shake with ice. Serve straight up with a lemon twist and a couple of raspberries.
Rémy Stiletto
Equal parts Rémy Strawberry-Kiwi and brut champagne, preferably Piper-Heidsieck. Garnish with a slice of strawberry on the rim.
Rémy Coral Reef
1 1/2 ounces Rémy Strawberry-Kiwi
1 1/2 ounce Stoli Razberi
1 ounce piña colada mix
Place all ingredients in a blender with a scoop of ice. Serve in a margarita glass. Garnish with a strawberry on the rim.
Rémy Riviera
2 ounces Rémy Grape Berry
1 ounce Absolut Kurant
2 ounces cranberry juice
1/2 ounce Angostura Grenadine syrup
Place all ingredients in a blender with a scoop of ice. Serve in a margarita glass.
Rémy Wet Kiss
1 1/2 ounces Rémy Grape Berry
1 1/2 ounces Vox Raspberry
1 ounce cranberry juice
Splash of lime juice
4 maraschino cherries
2 lime wedges
Muddle the fruit with lime juice in a glass shaker, add the liquor and ice. Shake and pour (do not strain) into an old-fashioned glass.
There's a whole lot of shaking going on in cocktail culture and Rémy fruit infusions are the perfect, innovative keys to great-tasting cocktails and long drinks.
Francesco Lafranconi, a master mixologist, is a beverage specialist for Southern Wine and Spirits and the director of the Academy of Spirits & Fine Service.