Cocktails, Comrades?

From Martinis to Cosmopolitans and Lemondrops, cocktails have become increasingly trendy and chic over the past few years. Nightclubs, bars and restaurants from Manhattan to Miami, Las Vegas to Los Angeles have been mixing and pouring cocktail concoctions (some as exotic as they are expensive) to eager customers who are now demanding their many spirits by brand name.

With vodka accounting for more than 25 percent of all spirits sold in the United States, it should come as no surprise that the most popular drinks are vodka-based. However, it may shock some American vodka drinkers to know that most vodkas on the market do not come from Russia, the country that created and is world-renowned for vodka.

For the last 40 years, the majority of the vodka imported into the United States has come from Sweden, Finland, Poland and France. Additionally, liquor producers have gone out of their way to dazzle the public with vodkas produced from unusual ingredients (potatoes, wheat and even soy), or mixed with flavors ranging from citrus to chocolate. While these new spins on an old favorite have made vodka America's king of spirits, they have only managed to fill the void created by a lack of quality vodka from Mother Russia.

Thanks to Kutskova and A.V. Imports, a leading importer of wine and spirits, you can now have the best vodka, and the most delicious drinks, straight from the source. Kutskova, a super-premium Russian vodka recently released to the U.S. market, will allow vodka aficionados, as well as club-hoppers, bar-dwellers and restaurant patrons, their first taste of a premium Russian brand, virtually unobtainable in the West during the Cold War.

Kutskova, the original name for the city of Moscow before 1147, has already established itself as the gold standard against which all other vodkas are measured. In 2001, The Beverage Testing Institute and the San Francisco International Spirits Competition both awarded Kutskova gold medal honors for its exceptional taste and quality.

At first glance, Kutskova stands out from the crowd in appearance alone, breaking from the tall, cylindrical look favored by other premium European brands. Presented in a tapered, slope-shouldered, slightly frosted bottle that has a clear window with a depiction of St. Basil's Cathedral, Kutskova's bottle has the weight and presence of a handmade, cut-glass container suggestive of its Russian heritage.

The true test of any spirit, however, is its taste -- a field in which Kutskova reigns supreme as "The New Russian Nobility." Made in accordance with the formula for premium vodka established by the czar's government panel in 1894, Kutskova uses only the highest quality Luxe wheat and soft spring water from the Gzhelka River. Double distilled and filtered through composites of birch charcoal and diamond quartz sand to remove 99.9 percent of all impurities, Kutskova is exceptionally smooth with a crystal clear appearance and an icy pure aroma characteristic of hand-crafted, small batch vodka.

Other quality vodkas from Russia do exist in America, but are incredibly expensive and difficult to find. While super-premium in taste and quality, Kutskova costs from $23 to $25, allowing all spirit lovers the chance to experience the "Water of Russia" firsthand.

A.V. Imports, Inc., a Columbia, Md.-based national wine and spirit importer, has been in business since 1986. The company imports wines and spirits from Italy, Mexico, Chile, France, Ireland, Russia, Australia, Hungary, Spain and New Zealand and sells them to licensed wholesalers throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Aruba and the Bahamas. For more information, please visit www.kutskova.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Top Cocktails For 2002

Kutskova Only (TM) Russian Night

- 2 ounces Kutskova vodka

- 2 ounces espresso

- Dash of lemon juice

Pour over ice into glass and garnish with lemon.

KO(TM) Noble Martini

- 1 1/2 ounces Kutskova vodka

- 2 drops dry vermouth

Shake over ice. Strain into classic martini glass and garnish with pickled garlic.

KO Moscow Martini

- 3 ounces Kutskova vodka

- Dry vermouth to taste

Shake with ice and strain into a double martini glass.

KO Pink Pussycat

- 1 1/2 ounces Kutskova vodka

- 5 ounces pineapple juice

- Splash of grenadine

Pour into a highball glass and stir.