Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Raw Bar!

Happy Friday! Finally a somewhat calm week. It especially helped that I’m still down the Cape, which is by default a relaxing place for me. Both of my parents are from here, so I’ve been coming to the cape ever since I can remember. So whenever Im down here it’s a nice reset. Granted I did work from here again this week so it wasn’t a complete disconnect and relaxation mode, it still beat working from home.

One thing I love down here is the access to great seafood. I lost count of the number of times I’ve run to the fish market for dinners this week. One of these days I grabbed oysters for Mrs. Sharkbait and I.

Pairing with the oysters is an oyster martini, using oyster vodka from ISCO spirits, a distillery in Providence, Rhode Island. I’ve seen this around and decided I needed a bottle for the Cape. Also, having enjoyed a bunch of these since I bought the bottle, I decided that I needed to write about it here.

Oyster Martini

3 oz. ISCO Oyter Vodka

1 oz. Dry vermouth

Lemon twist

Add ice to a mixing glass or shaker. Combine vodka and vermouth. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the lemon twist.

I get more lemon aromas here than I would normally get on a gin based drink, I suppose because the vodka is a cleaner smelling base spirit in the sense that it doesn’t have other items adding to its scent like gin does.

Super cold, just how a good martini should be. The vodka has lived in the freezer since I got it, and I was smart and put my glass in the freezer ahead of time too. This is also very strong, like a good martini should be as well. It’s well balanced up front, you get the harshness of the vodka up front, but then quickly mellowed by the vermouth. I get more of the lemon peel adding some nice citrus zing into the flavor profile as well, it’s a welcome addition to the oyster martini.

Unfortunately, I had higher hopes for this vodka. I guess I may have over hyped it to myself, but I wish it was a bit brinier. While in London on a work trip last year, I had an oyster martini that had some heat, and some good depth of flavor brought in by the brine from the oysters. I was hoping this vodka would capture what I was looking for, but it comes up a it short in that department. Don’t get me wrong, this is an excellent vodka in its own right, especially from a small batch distiller in Rhode Island. Once this bottle is done, I plan on re-stocking this one, or maybe trying some of their other offerings because it is a good vodka, I can even get the brine from the oysters they use, It’s just not the level I was expecting. Maybe I was thinking along the lines of an oyster based dirty martini? Either way, I think my “disappointment” (even that is too harsh of a word really” is because I overhyped it in my own head.

The finish is very smooth, and the drinks strength carries all the way through to the end. The raw vodka “burn” stays on the palate, slowing your consumption down, which is good since this is pure booze. The end is really where most of the lemon flavors come in. As mentioned before, it plays very well here, more-so than in a regular vodka martini. Thank the oysters for that.

Would I make again? Considering this isn’t the first one I’ve had at this extended stay down here, yes. Very much yes. Especially when paired with a dozen fresh oysters I just shucked and plated.

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)