(NC)-Citrus is the fruit of good health and well-being - and indeed, for many of us there is nothing more rejuvenating than the taste and aroma of freshly squeezed lime. It makes for great cocktails too.

Vodka cocktails are very popular at any time of the year and the makers of Finlandia, who have been producing vodka for more than 400 years, tell us that the next time you plan to mix your Limosa - or your Lime Mary, your Limedriver, Limetini, or Key Lime Smoothie, and others - they now have the perfect shortcut to the right taste every time.

New on the shelves this year is Finlandia Vodka Lime. You will recognize it by the familiar red dot on the ice-crafted bottle, except this new brand of icy-white vodka features a touch of lime, on both the outside, and inside the bottle. Mix it with soda, tonic, cranberry, grapefruit juice, or use it in any number of vodka cocktails. The lime flavour required is already evenly blended into a vodka that is hailed for its premium quality, promising quick, less fuss, bartender-style results.

It would appear that making a premium vodka is far from easy work however.

"The goal when distilling vodka is to produce a totally pure spirit, one without the slightest trace of anything else," says Corey Ball, group brand manager for Finlandia. "Ours follows a set of rigorous steps, of which the most important include: using the purest, glacial spring water; using six row barley, the most expensive distillers grain; using home-grown yeast to ensure freshness and consistency; and applying a continuous, uninterrupted distillation process.

"And when you go looking for our newest family member, Finlandia Vodka Lime," says Ball, "not only will you have little trouble recognizing the bottle, but as it stands right now, it is the only vodka on the shelves to offer this popular blend of lime. It is the only one, we say, to give you a taste of the arctic but with a hint of the tropics too."

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