Fresh from the womb of its family-owned distillery in Temperance — let the irony not be lost about that one — the next big “Imported From Detroit” luxury item, Voo Vodka, is muscling its way onto the top shelf.
Several bars, clubs and local retailers in metro Detroit have already begun carrying or serving the liquor, which prides itself on an eight-time distilling process, whereas other premium vodkas, such as Grey Goose and Belvedere go through the distillery a total of five times.
“Voo Vodka was created with a connoisseur in mind,” says founder DeCarlos Stewart, the first black owner of any premium vodka label.
Currently available for purchase throughout Michigan and Nevada, Stewart says the product will soon expand to Illinois, Florida, California, New York and Georgia.
Stewart says the product’s name is a derivation of “déjà vu”; the company claims that with one sip the connoisseur will flash back to something great in life. Here’s hoping!
For more information, and to check distribution, see the company’s website, drinkvoo.com.
—Zak Witus
FOOD THOUGHT
The Barbecue Bible!
By Steve Raichlen
Workman Publishing Co.; $29.99; 575 pp.
Author Steve Raichlen is modest about his feat of compiling nearly 500 grilling recipes he gathered while on a three-year, 25-country pilgrimage. Raichlen tackles your meal, soup to nuts, beginning with starters (Vietnamese shrimp mousse on sugarcane and grilled snails from France, as examples). It really is an encyclopedia of grilling beyond barbecue.
THE WORKS
LotusGrill
$199.99; amazon.com; ebay.com
Designed for cooking without all the fuss or mess of dealing with heavy propane tanks and huge bags of charcoal, LotusGrill is perfect for small spaces or balconies. Leave it to the Germans to build something that is small, efficient and kickass. Battery-operated, a fan system pushes air over the charcoals, forcing them to quickly become very hot. The fan-operated charcoal grill also ensures a low-fat and calorie-conscious style of cooking. Because of its design, excess fat and oil can’t reach the charcoal and burn. Convenience comes with a price. In this case, it’s $200 clams.
