By Chuck Martin
Enquirer staff writer

Something's in the vodka at Vito's Cafe in Fort Thomas.

It's pineapple, and it's owner Vito Ciepiel's idea to steep the fresh fruit in the clear spirit.

You may have seen fruit-infused vodkas at the store. Now, Ciepiel and other bar and restaurant owners are infusing their own. It's easy, it takes only a few days for the fruit to flavor the vodka, the golden fruit looks appealing bobbing in a jar and customers love the natural flavor in pineapple martinis and cosmopolitans.

VODKA

Flavored vodka sampler Flavored vodkas seem to proliferate on the shelf. They can add a twist to your favorite cocktail recipe, but are also terrific on their own shaken with ice. Here's a sampling: Smirnoff Watermelon Twist - sweet like watermelon-flavored candy ($10.49) Three Olives Cherry - sweet, bold cherry flavor ($18.99) Absolut Raspberri - a hint of fruit but not sweet ($19.99) Skyy Citrus - flavored with orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit or tangerine - sophisticated and refreshing ($15.99) Finlandia Mango Fusion - exotic, dead-on mango flavor ($14.99)

MIX IT

Five infused vodka drinks to try Flirtini ($6.95) at Encore Cafe, 9521 Fields-Ertel Road, Symmes Township. Tangy and lively, it's made with Skyy Citrus Vodka, Cointreau, pineapple juice and a splash of champagne. Sex in the Newport ($7) at Jeff Ruby's Tropicana, Newport on the Levee. The name is a take on the Sex and the City TV show. Sweet and seductive, it's made with Three Olives Cherry Vodka, white cranberry juice, Hypnotiq, Bol's triple sec and lime juice. Grape Martini ($7.50) at Chokolate Morel, 101 E. Main St., Mason. This includes Ciroc Vodka, which is made from grapes. The grape theme is continued with grape juice and champagne and renders a sweet, elegant drink. Mandarin Cosmopolitan ($7.25) at Primavista, 810 Matson Place, Price Hill. Absolut Mandarin adds extra orange flavor to this classic cosmo. It includes a splash of Cointreau and cranberry juice. Lavender Cosmopolitan ($6.50) at Palomino, 505 Vine St., downtown. Made with Parfait Amour - a sweet liqueur made from Spanish oranges, vanilla, rose and almond - this drink has a purple hue. It also has Absolut Mandarin, lime sour and cranberry juice and a lavender powder rim. --Rebecca Goodman

"So far it's been a big success," says Ciepiel, who has been using pineapple-infused vodka for more than a month. "I'd say 30 to 40 percent of our guests have a pineapple cosmopolitan."

Bartenders at Mitchell's Fish Market at Newport on the Levee and in West Chester Township also infuse vodka with pineapple, using the Finlandia brand (Ciepiel uses Absolut). The fruity vodka is shaken into "Pine-Fin" cosmopolitans and other drinks at Mitchell's. Some customers sip it straight.

"When they see it on the bar, everyone's curious about it," says Jebin Zachariah, manager of the Mitchell's in Newport.

Vodka infusion is making a big revival from the days before World War II, when it was common, says Rob Costantino, managing editor of Sante Magazine, a restaurant trade publication. Many establishments, especially on the West Coast, are infusing vodka with pineapple, pomegranates, peaches and other seasonal fruit.

"What happened as high-end restaurants have tried to differentiate themselves from their competition is they've thought up ways to create new drinks," Costantino says.

The infusion trend is driven by the popularity of cosmopolitans and martinis, he says, and by the demand for premium vodkas in those cocktails. If someone spends money on a high-end vodka, they don't want the bartender to pour a cheap, bad-tasting mixer into their drink. They want a flavored vodka made from scratch.

"And anyone who has tasted a drink made from scratch doesn't want to go back," Costantino says.

So expect to see more bars floating pretty fruit in jars. Ciepiel plans to try other fruit infusions in his vodka. And he's already serving his own peach-infused grappa (a colorless Italian brandy).

Of course, some trends don't work for everyone. Peter Laffoon, owner of Hamburger Mary's, downtown, began infusing vodka with raspberries and strawberries five months ago. But he stopped when he realized how much vodka he lost when he threw away the soused fruit.

"It was fun for a while," Laffoon says. "And it is good. Who knows, we might do it again."

On the Web

For more infused vodka recipes, jars and other equipment, go to www.infused-vodka.com.

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E-mail cmartin@enquirer.com