Black Vodka Chases Blues
With Star Trek-Like Hues

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Black vodka is beautiful, even if it does turn your screwdriver green.
     So say the makers of Blavod. Although it sounds and looks like a beverage intended for Star Trek Klingons, the ultrapremium
inky vodka is actually designed for humanoids.
     Why black? "It's a fashion statement,'' said Evin Ollinger, president and chief executive officer of San Francisco-based The
Black Vodka Co., which imports Blavod from Britain.
     "After all, black is the national color of New York,'' said Ollinger, who predicted the vodka would make a big splash in the
Big Apple when it is launched here at the end of May.
     Face it, drinks named Midnight Martini (Blavod, always shaken, not stirred) and Godfather Martini (Blavod with two olives)
sound like they were created with chic New Yorkers, who are usually blanketed in black, in mind.
     But Ollinger said it is actually the brainchild of his British friend Mark Dorman who, oddly enough, got the inspiration while
visiting California's wine country.
     "Mark was sitting in a bar in Napa Valley drinking his clear vodka when a guy sat down and asked for coffee. The bartender
asked, 'Black or white?' Mark had a realization and black vodka was born.''
     Ollinger said Blavod began selling in Britain last year and was introduced into some U.S. markets last December, with the
biggest launch saved for the Big Apple (New York).
     He explained that the vodka, which is triple distilled and double charcoal filtered, gets its color from Black Catechu, an herb
from Burma. He said the herb does not flavor the vodka and does not stain teeth or tongues.
     "What we're doing is very simple. We are joining the premium vodkas and creating a choice between black and white.''
     To promote the new vodka, the company is using advertising with a photo that reverses the normal colors of a Dalmatian,
showing a black dog with white spots and the words "Go Fetch.'' There is even a Web site at BlackVodka.com.
     The company is also running a drink-naming contest in which participants can name their own signature drink and e-mail it to
DrinkContest+BlackVodka.com
     Ollinger, who was in New York to promote the vodka, said one of his favorite things has been asking bartenders to come up
with names for cocktails using Blavod.
     An interesting thing about vodka is that it first floats as a layer on the liquid below it, he said. Since other vodkas are clear, most
drinkers usually do not notice.
     That means the black vodka can make some pretty strange-looking drinks. By itself it is a shimmering black. When mixed with
water, it turns a silvery gray.
     To make a drink that looks like it came right out of Star Trek, try pouring cranberry juice into a glass and topping it with a layer
of Blavod. The effect is even more spectacular when the two are mixed, resulting in a royal purple liquid.
     "One bartender came up with the name 'Forbidden Love''' for that combination, Ollinger said.
     A screwdriver made with orange juice and Blavod has even more bizarre results. As the Blavod seeps into the juice, the liquid
turns green. This is great for St. Patrick's Day, but some may not find it particularly appetizing on other days.
     One Chicago bartender suggested the name "Irish Screw'' for this one, Ollinger said. A Louisiana bartender called it "Swamp
Water,'' and another bartender said, "It's fine if you're serving it to a Martian.''
     Ollinger said he had been in high tech marketing until his British buddy lured him away. "But I have to tell you I'm having more
fun in this than I did in the high tech business.''