Getting into the Spirits

The Chef’s Table restaurant on Main Street in Montpelier was hopping Saturday morning, February 28, a familiar portrait of epicurean decadence, a keen complement to the crisp perfection of a February morning. But despite the early hour, scones and coffee did not make the menu at this gathering. The time was 11 a.m. The guests today had come to drink vodka.

All sorts of vodka, in fact. Sixteen different kinds. From eight different countries. And then, as if that was not enough, there was also this: Rabbit Stroganoff, Kulibyaka of Salmon, black bread and eggplant caviar.

The First Annual Russian Life Vodka Taste-Off – an opportunity for a few dozen Russian (or just plain vodka) enthusiasts to wet their palates and hone their tastes – had begun. And it was, by all obvious accounts, on its way to becoming a smashing success.