Bartender for the Blue Beat Jazz and Martini Bar, in Montego Bay, Horace Bonny whips up some colourful martinis shortly after partcipating in a Findlandia vodka training session last Thursday.

Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter

WESTERN BUREAU:

The party season is here and with the searing heat ofsummer comes the hippest and hottest sessions. Recently, Food visited Montego Bay's Blue Beat Martini Bar to experience one of the freshest new drinks that will be a hit at these parties - Finlandia Vodka.

Named 'a gift from nature', this 80 proof vodka is distilled only in Finland from pure glacial spring water and the finest six-row barley. It has a flagship brand, Classic Finlandia Vodka and five flavours: mango fusion, wild berry fusion, lime fusion, cranberry fusion and the newest addition, award winning grapefruit fusion.

"Our pure glacial spring water requires no additional treatment or processing because nature created the perfect filter over 10,000 years ago during the last Ice Age," said Brown-Forman general manager for the Caribbean and vodka trainer for the occasion, George A. Puyana. "In fact, when we try to improve on its purity, it always comes out less pure. It is already so pure."

Making great strides

One of the newest lines to hit the Jamaican market under the Caribbean Producers Jamaica (CPJ) Limited distributorship, Finlandia has been making great strides in the market already earning kudos for its clean crisp taste.

"The vodka market is growing worldwide. It is one of the fastest growing spirits and the trend is reflected in Jamaica," commented CPJ Sales and Marketing Manager, Devon Reid. "We have hosted many events with Finlandia; people talk about its being clean, crisp and pure."

Bartender at Blue Beat and one of the participants of the vodka tasting session, Horace Bonny agrees, "It is one of our top selling vodkas," he said. "Finlandia is smooth. It has no after-taste."

Cool down

Following the session, Mr. Bonny whipped up some cool drinks for Food. They are:

Peach martiniFinlandia classic, peach schnapps, splash of peach purée and orange juice.

French SmoochFinlandia classic, chambord and pineapple juice.

Island cosmopolitanFinlandia cranberry, cranberry juice, peach schnapps and splash of lime juice.

Apple martiniFinlandia classic, sour apple, sour mix, splash of 7up.

All drinks are shaken, not stirred!