LOS ANGELES, Aug. 16, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Guess who's coming to dinner? Vodka! Southern California-based Modern Spirits will host the first artisan vodka pairing dinner at the James Beard House in Manhattan on Monday, September 24, 2007.
"Three years ago, we introduced a portfolio of spirits for chefs and sommeliers to pair with small plates and rich, bold dishes," says Modern Spirits co-founder and vodkamaker, Melkon Khosrovian. "Hosting a vodka-pairing dinner at the country's most prestigious culinary institution is an honor and a signal that the dining table is ready for broader pairing options."
Modern Spirits vodkas enhance the dining experience in three unique ways:
* They whet the appetite; * Their complex, nuanced flavors complement or contrast a variety of dishes; * They cleanse the palate so diners can experience each new bite the same as their first.
Also, because these vodkas are produced with only real ingredients, they're ideal for natural tasting cocktails.
"The James Beard Foundation's mission is to celebrate, preserve, and nurture America's culinary heritage and diversity," notes The James Beard Foundation's Director of House Programming, Izabela Wojcik. "In the last few years we've witnessed a tremendous growth in hand-crafted and infused spirits, in cocktail menus, and a real excitement and interest on the part of the consumer. It's a natural fit for the James Beard House to stage an exemplary dinner with a top notch chef who creates a menu revolving around artisan vodka."
Teaming up with the chef and co-owner of Nic's Beverly Hills, Larry Nicola, Modern Spirits will showcase a five-course dinner paired with both straight pours and natural cocktails:
Hors d'oeuvres Vodka cured Scottish salmon on pumpernickel raisin
crostini with caper dill aioli
Cumin crusted black pheasant in Shiso leaf
Chickpea fritter with Maytag blue and microgreens
Paired with Grapefruit Honey Vodka mini martinis
1st Course Verrine of tuna belly, Guajillo chiles, grapefruit
and mizuna
Paired with Candied Ginger Vodka
2nd Course Organic gazpacho martini with peekytoe crab and Dry
lemongrass soda
Paired with Celery Peppercorn Vodka
3rd Course Dandelion greens with burrata, pistachio, Asian
pears and oranges with apricot vinaigrette
Paired with Pear Lavender Vodka
4th Course T-Bone of organic lamb au poivre with whipped
Gorgonzola
Paired with Black Truffle Vodka
5th Course White chocolate semifreddo with Sicilian mulberries
and cassis glaze
Paired with tea and dark chocolate martini
(Three-Tea Vodka)
About Modern Spirits
True love started Los Angeles-based Modern Spirits, maker of one of the finest lines of artisan vodkas available in the U.S. Husband-and-wife team Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew founded the company in 2004 after friends and family began asking to buy the subtle, complex vodkas Melkon had created for his then-fiancee (who hated vodka) to sip at family meals. Modern Spirits uses only natural ingredients and small-batch production techniques to handcraft its growing portfolio of vodkas.