Grey Goose L'Orange

Grey Goose L'Orange is an orange-flavored vodka, so it behaves differently from a neutral bottle. The citrus is part of the spirit, not something you add afterward. Flavored vodkas in this style usually lean on orange peel and zest. Expect bright citrus oil aroma and a clean, fairly dry finish, not the sweetness of a liqueur. The profile above is typical of the category, not a measured tasting result for this bottle. Because the orange is already there, it suits drinks where you would otherwise squeeze or muddle citrus. The Cosmopolitan is the obvious one. Replacing plain vodka with this bottle adds orange depth, so you can cut or drop the triple sec and keep the drink tart, with cranberry and lime still doing the main work. A Screwdriver improves in the same way, since the orange juice picks up an aromatic peel note it normally lacks. For a Moscow Mule, the orange and ginger beer pair well, and a lime wedge keeps it from tipping too sweet. It also works in an Espresso Martini, where orange and coffee make a familiar chocolate-orange pairing. Use a little less sugar syrup than usual, because the citrus lifts the bitterness of the coffee. A vodka Martini made with it is better treated as a variation than a classic. Stir it with a dry vermouth and garnish with an orange twist, and expect a noticeably citrus-forward drink. A Bloody Mary is the weakest fit here. The orange can fight the tomato and spice, so a plain vodka is usually the better choice for that drink. For drinking it neat, serve it well chilled from the freezer or stirred over ice, and pour into a chilled martini glass or over a large cube in a rocks glass. Cold temperatures keep the citrus crisp, while warming it will push the flavor toward perfume. A fresh orange twist expressed over the glass brings out the aroma, and soda water with a lemon or orange wedge makes a simple long drink that lets the flavor show.