by Andrew Chalk
Vodka may be defined as “colorless, odorless, and tasteless” in official tracts but that hasn’t stopped the whole of the distilling industry ignoring it and ploughing ahead making the spirit from corn, sorghum, corn, rye, wheat, even potatoes.
This week I had my first martini made from Kástra Elión vodka, a product of wheat and, get this, olives. It is made in Greece by an enterprising Greek-American family that works with an olive grove and now exports to several countries, including the USA. Created in 2020 (with terrible timing, it should be noted, given the pandemic) Kástra Elión is growing sales in California, New York, and now Texas. Look for them in Spec’s, Goody Goody's and Pogo's, and on-premise in upscale restaurants like Sachet.
I tried a dirty martini and felt like James Bond. A straight glass of the vodka revealed it to have a deeper viscosity than most vodkas due to the olives. Its character is clean and smooth. Co-Founder and President of the company, Mike Camello, says that they hope Texas will be a major market for them as they aim for the premium sector. He plans to focus on the olive connection rather than diversify into a range of flavors. That singularity propelled Tito’s to number one and I would say Kástra Elión, let’s call it Kástra, can do well.
Sample.
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