Black Angina

1 part Stoli Vanil
2 parts Vanilla Coke
Serve over ice in a short glass

The corporate marketing obesession with colors and flavors in recent years has given us translucent computers and cell phones of every shade, and beverage variations heretofore undreamed, often for good reason. Change isn't always a good thing, as for every tangerine iMac or Kit Kat Dark there is a Pepsi Blue or Ben & Jerry's Dog Shit™.

Fortunately, the vodka world has not gone too crazy, concentrating on tasteful infusions that never wander off into mutant-land. Vanilla, Raspberry, Lemon, Orange … these make sense. And the similar trend of major cola companies offering flavor variations can hardly be coincidence. The world's drinkmakers are tacitly cooperating to ensure we have delicious summer cocktails!

Black Angina was hatched the week Vanilla Coke rolled out—perhaps the biggest no-brainer to hit the cocktail world since my dad. The dual-fronted thrust of vanilla gives it a deep, rich taste with a sweet swirl to it. Not so much a party in one's mouth, but rather a sophisticated round-table discussion with hard-drinking existentialist philosophers.

Loud Bassoon rating scale

Review by Abel Packaday