Effen Salted Caramel is finally flavored vodka worth drinking

Flavored vodkas are usually too sweet, but Effen Salted Caramel takes things another direction. The addition of salt creates the sweet and salty combination typically only found in food.

Colin Joliat

I generally stay away from flavored vodkas. I’m willing to give it a shot now and then, but rarely does it have staying power for me. Effen Salted Carmel is a different beast though, and not just because it starts with high quality vodka. Most flavored vodkas are sugar bombs. Producers know it’s getting mixed with tonic, Sprite, or Red Bull, so the flavors have to be a kick in the sugar lumps to be noticed. Effen took a different approach with an understated caramel flavor offset by a little bit of salt.

The downside to that is unfortunately that it’s not great for shots or drinking straight. Then again, you probably aren’t shooting much flavored vodka anyway. It’s spectacular in drinks that compliment the caramel though, like coffee. One of the cocktails they suggested was the Effen Mocha Blasted Salted Caramel, which is a lot of words for vodka and iced mocha. Just add equal parts Effen Salted Caramel and iced mocha coffee, shake, and strain into a cocktail glass. Throw a few mocha coffee beans on top for added aroma if you have them. Jackpot. Easy and delicious drink you’ve never tried before.

If you want to get really cocky, you can try the Effen Salted Caramel Rocky Road. I made it once, and it’s amazing, but it involves a little more time and few more ingredients. Ain’t nobody got time for that. I’d just stick with a 2:5 Salted Caramel Vodka and Ginger Ale though. The sweet and salty play absolutely perfectly with the spiciness of ginger ale.