Gameday Spiked The Goat

Gameday Spiked The Goat is listed as a vodka. The details on file don't give its base ingredient, proof or whether it carries added flavor, so check the bottle label for those before you plan around them. The "Spiked" in the name could point to a flavored or novelty bottling, but the listing doesn't say. Vodka in general is made to be neutral, and the differences between bottles are usually small: a faint grain sweetness, a creamier or thinner body, or a little peppery heat on the finish. If the bottle follows the usual clean profile, it will suit mixed drinks where the vodka has to stay in the background. A Moscow Mule is the simplest fit: about 2 ounces of vodka, half an ounce of fresh lime juice and ginger beer over ice. The ginger and lime carry the flavor, so a neutral spirit works well there. The same applies to a Bloody Mary, where tomato, horseradish and spice cover most of the spirit. A Cosmopolitan (vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry and lime) and an Espresso Martini (vodka, coffee liqueur and fresh espresso, shaken hard for a foam top) also work, because the vodka adds strength without competing with the other ingredients. For a classic vodka Martini, stir 2½ ounces with half an ounce of dry vermouth over plenty of ice. Strain it into a chilled glass and garnish with a lemon twist or olives. A spirit with a flavored or distinctive character will show up more in that drink than in a mule or a Bloody Mary. To drink it neat, keep the bottle in the freezer. Cold temperatures thicken the texture and mute any alcohol bite. Pour it into a small chilled glass, or over a large cube in a rocks glass. If you are unsure how it tastes, pour a small measure neat before you use it in a batch of cocktails.