IS Vodka Makes Its New York Debut At STK In The MPD1 comment

Last night IS Vodka held its New York launch at STK. Pronounced “ice,” the vodka is smooth with a fiery finish.

Sofia Karesh and I arrived at the restaurant and were surprised when there was no clipboard girl at the door. We were even more surprised when we saw there were people having dinner in the restaurant. Where was this event going to take place?

If you’ve ever been to STK you know to the left and up about three steps there is a mini-bar and waiting area. IS Vodka must not have known how much Manhattanites loved free vodka because they were not prepared for the number of people that RSVP’d.

After about an hour they opened up the cocktail area of STK and we finally had some breathing room to take in the scene.

We ran into Mo from Socially Superlative and munched on shrimp tempura, sliders, fries, tuna tartare and other treats from the kitchen. We had a hard time getting to the bar, but once we were there it was time to test out the vodka.

In a shot, the vodka goes down smooth and their PR camp is correct in saying it has a fiery finish. The aftertaste is similar to the burning you encounter after eating a jalapeno and is very refined. We had a fruity cocktail and one with basil and felt the cocktails tasted like they were made with water instead of alcohol. We took this to mean the alcohol was weak. We were pleasantly mistaken. After two drinks and one shot we were almost drunk. IS vodka goes down like water but will sneak up on you if you’re not careful.

I’m curious to see which venues make IS Vodka available. But for now, you can taste it at STK or in the comfort of your own home. At about $40 per bottle it’s a great item to bring to any summer party.