Better Brands holiday trade show / A liquor trade show is at once the best and worst situation in which to find your self. The rows upon rows of free booze. The buffet of free pupu. Attractive smiling liquor representatives happy to pour you more. Could this be real? Have you died and gone to alcohol heaven? But for those who revel in the festivities a little too much, a little too quickly, this heaven can soon turn into an embarrassing and trying ordeal. Many attendees take caution with tasting, dumping out the majority of the contents of each tasting glass, painful as it may be. They keep in mind that they are there to scout out some thirst-quenching new products to satisfy their customers.

Disclosure: It’s no secret that our “Social Lite” columnist, Christa Wittmier, is the marketing and promotions director for Better Brands. She invited us as guests to the show this year, and it was interesting to compare this year’s offerings to last year’s, when I was a guest of my Mercury Bar boss, Andrew Bugreyev.

[Editor’s note: It’s awkward, but there really is no way to cover what’s new in booze without the Better Brands show. --RJC ]

At 2008’s show, the Canton ginger liqueur, Corzo tequilas and Balvenie 12-year doublewood scotch captivated my attention. This year, among the wines and other spirits, some new kids on the block (or maybe I just don’t remember some of them from last year…don’t judge me) stuck in my palate’s memory. If a bar near you doesn’t already carry these products of note below, it may soon. And tell your taste buds to watch out. Or duck and cover.

Pavé

Pavé is so hot in Vegas right now! Riding on the coattails of the popularity of energy enhancers mixed

with alcohol, as well as flavored alcohols, the Dutch Pavé markets itself as “liqueur infused with a distinct blend of ripened citrus, mango and passion fruits, hints of caffeine and delicate herbal notes.” What this translates to is liqueur plus fruit plus caffeine equals a suspiciously strange-tasting liquid. The pure novelty of the rectangular-bottled liquid is similar to what curiosity brought us to try Pinky vodka years ago. Try it just so you can say “Pavé,” or see if you can make it taste better with some purple grape juice (really, that’s a recipe from the company).

Cointreau Noir

While the square brown bottle of the bittersweet orange-flavored liqueur has been a staple in many cocktails or alone as an aperitif since 1849, the brand has managed to produce a cousin to the classic. Barely a half-year old, the platinum-colored bottle of Cointreau Noir boasts a blend of the original and Remy Martin cognac. The biggest marketing ploy is the fact that Noir is basically a ready-made sidecar in a bottle–good for the younger generation who might not be so familiar with making the cocktail that gained popularity around the end of World War I. Chill it, maybe add a squeeze of lemon and serve it in a sugar-rimmed martini glass for a fast classic.

Hangar One limited edition flavored vodkas

Anything that is limited edition always seems more flavorful, stronger, faster–superior in every which way compared to its mundane peers. Imagine the excitement of imbibing the limited seasonal bottles of Hangar One spiced pear and chipotle flavors. So spicy! Holiday cocktails will be easy with the new guns in your liquor arsenal. The spiced pear can be served simply as a straight chilled martini or something as fancy as the Au Pear cocktail–the spiced pear vodka mixed with elderflower liqueur, champagne and simple syrup. The chipotle vodka, slightly gold in color and visually reminiscent of tequila, also has a kick to it, but not much other flavor. Though in a bloody mary or an alcoholic version of Mexican hot chocolate, this number might do the trick.

Sweet tea flavored vodka

The novel winner of the show may have been the line of sweet tea flavored vodkas from Sweet Carolina, a line less than a year old from White Rock Distilleries. The flavors are classic, mint, peach, rasberry and lemonade. From one hot locale to the other, now the South and Hawaii can share drinks of leisure beyond the mint julep and hurricane. The sweet tea vodkas do just taste like sweet tea–good enough to have simply chilled or on the rocks, or mixed with ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, lemonade or any other tasty creative liquid combination you can conjure up.

Not to be left out of the trend, Seagram’s has its own sweet tea-flavored vodka, as well. It’s apparently “refreshingly naughty.” If you haven’t fulfilled that fantasy yet, now may be your only chance. Or at least until the next hot liquor comes up with a better slogan.

Kona Gold Coffee Liqueur

For the local award, Kona Gold Coffee Liqueur takes the crown. Part of the family of other locally produced booze, such as the organic Ocean vodka, this liqueur has beat out top-selling brands of its kind in blind taste tests. Since our state is known for its coffee, it’s about time we make a name for ourselves in coffee liqueur. From Kona coffee beans certified by the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative, the sweet brown liquid is made on Oahu without any chocolate or vanilla additives. Our local version of Kahlúa or Starbucks Coffee Liqueur is also another one good enough to drink on the rocks, adding another meaning to going for the gold.