StarBulletin.com

Vodka invokes Hawaii cache for new spirit


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POSTED: Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Adding pineapple to something does not make it Hawaiian.

Pineapple originated from South America and made its way to the Caribbean before arriving in Hawaii, where, as everybody knows, it flourished and became inseparably identified with Hawaii and “;Hawaiian”; cuisine.

               

     

 

On the Net:

        » www.skyyinfusions.com

Slap a slice of pineapple on a beef patty in a bun and call it a Hawaiian burger?

Dude, seriously.

Nevertheless, pineapple does evoke fantasies of exotica to people around the globe, which is likely why Skyy Vodka has introduced a pineapple-infused vodka.

“;Skyy Infusions say aloha to pineapple,”; the news release was titled.

It is a sibling to Skyy's line of citrus, cherry, passion fruit, raspberry and grape-infused vodkas and according to the release, “;the moment you open the bottle, the aroma is lively, juicy and an explosion of fruit reminiscent of an island vacation.”;

Pineapple cultivation in Hawaii is a shadow of its former self, but it seemed worth finding out if Hawaii sells any pineapple to Skyy for its new product.

Inquiries to Hawaii pineapple growers were unfruitful, so TheBuzz asked a Skyy publicist.

She looked into the question and replied that since Skyy “;must maintain a constant, year-round supply of ingredients to produce Skyy Infusions, we source our fruit from suppliers around the globe. Those suppliers can change regularly based on supply and demand and who has the best product available to meet Skyy's high standards.”;

The one thing that is definitely from Hawaii in this equation is Skyy publicist Hansoul Kim.

“;I was raised in Kahala,”; she said.

She sent along more than two dozen cocktail recipes using the product and added, “;My favorite is the Pineapple Chi Chi. Go figure: the island girl likes the one with coconut milk and cane sugar!”;

Pineapple-infused Skyy is not yet on the company Web site, as it doesn't hit stores until later this month.

 

Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Reach her by e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).