What a Cook Wants, 1

Dear readers. I am sorry for the lack of posting; these are dark days. Betty Lou and Tiina Fey are gone and I shall not be married much longer. I've been too sad to write about the joy of eating, but fear not: I am determined to bring glad tidings of great food once again. My heart may be crushed, but my palate still works. Thank God.
If ever there were cause to enjoy a cocktail, this is it. This first gift idea is apropos.

ÍS Vodka


The cook in your life needs to kick back, relax~ heck, just sit down for a minute. This vodka- pronounced "ice"- is made from melted Icelandic glacier water [harvested in an eco-friendly way] and non-GMO English wheat. They distill it seven times. Artisanal water is pretty hot these days, why not make booze with it?
The bottle is tall and dramatic with nearly Ionic columns and a curvy lady on its crest. I found the stopper hard to remove and replace, but that's what we'd call a quality problem.
The spirit itself is incredibly smooth and clean, no jagged edges. There's a brief hit of clove at the very end of the sip and that's it. It's great in a cocktail and perfect for sipping, if that's your thing.
ÍS Vodka, about $40 for a 750mL bottle.

Perhaps if I drink enough of it, I will be spirited away to Iceland for some quiet peace here: