Black martini, please

Most spirits tend to be on the clear side — or at the very least, you can see through them. But after spending many years in the bar business, Andrew Kirby, president and co-founder of Hounds Vodka based in Waterloo, wanted to create something that would “intrigue people.” By adding a proprietary blend of fulvic trace minerals and humines to triple-distilled vodka, Kirby made a black-hued spirit worthy of any martini, shaken or stirred. His favourite way to indulge is by making a Hounds Tooth: a vodka cocktail with bitters, simple syrup and just one rock. Kirby’s father, who spent 20 years in the spir-it industry, was a source of inspiration and encouragement — “he knew that nothing like this existed.” The minerals — derived from humus, or degraded organic matter — serve two purposes. They add the deep-black hue to the vodka and provide a velvety, smooth finish, creating an “incredible ingredient for the creative bartender.”

Hounds Vodka
houndsvodka.com | 519.498.8446
Find it at: LCBO