Polar Vanilla

Polar's Vanilla is a vanilla-flavored non-alcoholic mixer, sold in the soda water and juice mixer category. Products like this usually pair a clear, gently sweet vanilla note with carbonation. Check the label for whether it is a sweetened soda or an unsweetened flavored seltzer, because that decides how much sugar it adds to a drink. Expect a soft, rounded vanilla aroma with little acidity, so it adds body and fragrance without the sharpness of citrus. Serve it cold, straight from the refrigerator or over plenty of ice, since carbonation holds better when everything is chilled. Pour down the side of the glass rather than onto the spirit, and add it last so the bubbles survive. Because vanilla is a dessert-leaning flavor, it works best with spirits that already carry caramel, oak or spice. Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey are the obvious matches, and a measure of bourbon with vanilla soda, ice and an orange peel makes a simple highball. Aged and spiced rum, and dark rum with a squeeze of lime to cut the sweetness, also suit it. Vodka works if you want a clean vanilla-and-soda drink, and a coffee liqueur topped with the mixer makes a lighter take on a float-style drink. Try it in place of ginger ale or cola when you want something less sharp. A tall highball or Collins glass suits long drinks, since the extra headspace keeps the aroma and fizz in. A rocks glass with one large cube works for shorter pours over whiskey. For food, it goes best with desserts and richer flavors: chocolate, caramelized fruit, baked apple, salted caramel, or smoked and barbecued meats where a sweet counterpoint helps.