Vodka

Unflavored and deliberately plain, this is the bottle ArKay points people toward when they want the bite of a spirit without a flavor of its own getting in the way. It behaves like vodka in a mixed drink, which means a Cosmopolitan, a Sea Breeze, or a straightforward pour over ice with soda, cranberry or even an energy drink. The bite is the interesting part. No ethanol is involved, so the sensation comes from a food grade compound ArKay engineered to activate thermoreceptors in the mouth and throat, a trick the company has been refining since it opened the category in 2011. Everything else in the bottle is spring water, natural flavors and a little citric and lactic acid, which is why a serving contains no sugar, carbs or calories. Use it at the same measure as the real thing.