Effen Vodka. No we’re not being rude, that’s their actual name. For those of you who don’t speak fluent Dutch (we don’t either), Effen actually means “smooth” in the native language. Here’s what we thought after sipping on their Black Cherry flavor.
The first thing we (and everyone) noticed about Effen was their sleek, stylish bottle. Clad with a black label and simple text, the bottle looks like something that belongs on a nightclub shelf or a fancy bar cart. Designed by mixologists and bartenders, Effen’s bottle has a polymer sleeve that keeps the vodka cool and easy to grip for anyone making a drink. That’s bottle genius right there.
So we swooned over the bottle, but what about the actual vodka? When we first opened Effen, the smell of cherries was subtle but strong enough to intrigue. We were pleasantly surprised that there wasn’t any hint of artificial sugar, unexpected when you’re tasting a fruit flavored spirit.
We tried the vodka on the rocks first. At first sip, it’s all cherries with hints of vanilla and tart fruit. When you’re dealing with cherry flavors, it’s either reminiscent of cough syrup or refreshingly tasty. Effen Black Cherry is definitely the latter. It’s smooth, flavorful and has us craving Dirty Shirleys. We added a bit of seltzer water to mix things up and the flavor only got better.
Effen Black Cherry is a winner in our book. We would recommend it to any cherry lover for their cosmos, sangria or any of their favorite cherry cocktails. Effen typically runs for $25 a bottle and they have a few other flavors we’re eager to try: Cucumber, Raspberry and Salted Caramel. Add it to your bar cart, it’s worth the price.