Sriracha Vodka Is Here to Napalm Your Liver

I’m not going to lie: Flavored vodkas are almost always an alcoholic abomination and should be razed from the this Earth. But then again, every once in a while a compelling flavor comes along. UV has just come out with a Sriracha Vodka. We’re intrigued despite ourselves.

I once tried the world’s hottest vodka, and it was more than a little unpleasant. Sriracha is a lot more mellow than ghost peppers, though, so this might have a chance at a decent balance. Speaking in the vodka’s favor, it’s probably fantastic in a Bloody Mary. Why not start with a spicy base for your spicy drink? UV’s website also has recipes for a Sriracha Chelada (a play on arguably the best hangover drink, the spicy, beery Michelada) and a few others. Speaking against the vodka however are several things.

1. UV’s Sriracha Vodka is laughably under-proof. At 30% ABV (or 60 proof), it’s well under the standard 40%. Vodka drinks already have a tendency to be too watery, why start with extra water in the vodka? A bad omen.
2. The company’s recipe for the Sriracha Bloody Mary doesn’t instill confidence that the company even knows how to mix drinks. “1 part UV Sriracha Vodka, 3 parts Bloody Mary mix.” Bloody Mary mix!? Now you’re just being lazy, but perhaps the lazy is who this is being marketed to.
3. UV’s website also has a “Srirachaberry Margarita.” That’s strawberry and Sriracha, for those of you playing the home game. I’m sorry, but no. You do not put vodka in a Margarita. It’s a tequila (or at least an agave-based spirit) drink, end of story. If you want a Sriracha Marg, use tequila, add your fruit, and then put in real Sriracha.

Those gripes aside, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t kind of want to try it. It seems like you could have a lot of fun with a spirit like this. And what would happen if you used it for cocktails with Brooklyn’s Sriracha Bitters? Maybe it’d create a spicy supernova (call it the Sriracha Singularity).

Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen our favorite hot sauce make its way into unexpected places. You could always snack on some Sriracha Popcorn created by the artist behind The Oatmeal web comic. For dessert? How’s about this recipe for a Sriracha Ice Cream Sandwich? The key to this sauce’s success has always been is versatility, and we will always love seeing where it pops up next.

More From Outside on the Sriracha Saga:

• Last We Heard, That Sriracha Factory Is Still a Public Nuisance
• In Case of Emergency: Sriracha Alternatives
• How Dangerous is Sniffing Sriracha Fumes?
• Almost As Good As the Original: Green Sriracha