Cool Hunting

There is no shortage of great vodka available today. Small batch, organic, infused, old standbys. Modern Spirits themselves make several exceptional and interesting sipping vodkas meant to be enjoyed with, and accompany food (such as Black Truffle, Celery Peppercorn and Pear Lavender).

Sometimes none of these—no matter how good—will do. That's when you call in the experts at Modern Spirits, who will help craft a vodka that represents your exclusive and exceptional taste.

We asked Litty Mathew, co-founder and tastemaker, a few questions about Haute, their bespoke vodka service:

CH: You spend a lot of time making your own flavors. How did you get the idea to offer custom made vodka?

LM: One of our clients who likes to give outrageous gifts talked us into making the first Haute. After a couple more inquiries, we began offering it as a service for individuals who yearn to create something unique they can share with others.

CH: How does this process work?

LM: We start with extensive client profiles to map out their emotional connections to flavors, cuisines and ingredients, as well as how they entertain and socialize...Once we narrow it down, we send the client three variations of the theme and go from there.

CH: Can you give us an example of a custom flavor?

LM: We made a Lavender Honey vodka for a client...(who) wanted to capture a special period of time that he spent in the South of France.

CH: How much does this cost?

LM: Since we launched the service last year, we've helped five private clients. We only take a certain number because the process is complicated and we have to comply with Federal regulations for each client. Because of the time involved, we require a minimum purchase of ten cases, which costs $15,000.

CH: Have you had any strange requests?

LM: No, but then no one has approached us with a set flavor in mind. If you know you want citron, you can buy Absolut. The real fun for Haute clients is discovering and creating their own signature flavors.

At $150 a bottle it's no more expensive than a good bottle of vintage champagne and a lot less expensive than a custom made fragrance. For those that need to put their personal stamp on everything around them, Haute is a new option to consider. Their tagline is "Flavors only limited by the imagination;" your imagination, and $15,000 that is.