[The Sip Advisor has been growing his liquor collection for a decade plus. It is something I’m very proud of, my children before kids and my legacy to leave to this world. I’d like to share what I’ve curated with all you little sippers via this project.]

When Mrs. Sip and I (along with a young Girl Sip) did an Alaskan cruise, this was one of the bottles available for purchase from the onboard Duty Free stall. Always looking to spice things up in cocktails, it wasn’t hard to convince myself to buy the bottle. The product also has a unique look to it, with a ghost pepper floating amongst the liquor.

The vodka is very unique to Alaska, using barley grown near Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America, along with glacier waters. According to the Anchorage Distillery website, some flavours that pair well with the booze are tomato, brine, basil, honey, lemon, lime, mango, and pineapple.

While the company recommends using the vodka in Bloody Mary drinks, I prefer to use the spirit in Caesars, especially when I’m in the mood for an extra bite of heat. That said, this product doesn’t burn like some of the other spicy vodkas I’ve tried over the years.

Despite ghost peppers being described as “exceptionally hot” on the Scoville scale, I’ve always enjoyed the burn that comes with them, having also enjoyed the flavour on potato chips available at Trader Joe’s locations and even when they had it as a sauce option on McDonald’s McChicken burgers. Basically, don’t fear the reaper… unless they’re Carolina Reaper peppers!

Bottle of the Month #3: Fire at the Fruit Stand

• 1.5 oz Ghost Pepper Vodka
• Top with Ginger Beer
• Splash of Pineapple Juice
• Splash of Lime Juice
• Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

The Anchorage Distillery website has a number of cocktail suggestions for their products. Another note on ghost peppers, aside from culinary uses, India has also used them for animal control, particularly to keep wild elephants away from civilization, as well as in non-lethal hand grenades and sprays, used to break up unruly crowds and force criminals from hiding.