New Amsterdam Pink Whitney

Pink Whitney is a pink lemonade-flavored vodka made with New Amsterdam Vodka as its base, bottled in California at 30% ABV (60 proof). That strength is lower than the 40% of a standard vodka, and it shapes how the bottle works. It is meant to be sweet and tart, not neutral. Expect a candy-like lemonade character up front, with a tangy citrus note and a soft sweetness. Because the flavoring and sugar sit on top of a clean vodka, the texture should be smooth and light, with very little of the burn you get from an unflavored 80-proof bottle. The product details don't name the grain, so don't expect a specific base character such as rye spice or potato weight. What you taste is the lemonade. Served straight, it works best very cold. Keep the bottle in the freezer. At 30% ABV it won't freeze solid, and it pours slightly thicker and softer when chilled. Serve it in a small chilled glass, in a martini glass, or over ice in a rocks glass with a lemon wheel. Chilling also tones down the sweetness, which can read as syrupy at room temperature. For cocktails, the lemonade flavor makes it better suited to some drinks than others. A Moscow Mule is an easy fit: combine it with ginger beer and lime over ice, and use a little less ginger beer than usual, since the vodka already brings sweetness. A Cosmopolitan-style drink also suits it. Pair it with cranberry juice and a squeeze of fresh lime, and leave out any triple sec, because the vodka covers that role. The simplest drink may be the best: pour it over ice with soda water and fresh lemon for a light, pink highball. It also mixes with lemonade or iced tea for larger batches. Be selective with the classics. A dry Martini built on vermouth will taste strangely sweet with a flavored vodka like this, so stir it with a good deal of fresh lemon juice for a lemon-drop-style drink instead. A Bloody Mary and an Espresso Martini both depend on savory or roasted flavors, and a pink lemonade vodka will clash with them. A more neutral vodka is the better choice for those two.