LITTLE BLACK VODKA

"WILL THAT BE BLACK OR WHITE?" RINGS FAMILIAR FOR coffee drinkers, but don't be surprised to be asked the same question by a bartender. Blavod, a new vodka from London, remains as odorless and tasteless as its peers.

But this triple-distilled double-filtered spirit contains an aphrodisiac Burmese herb called Catcheu (ka-CHOO) that imbues the liquid with seductive mystery and turns it an opaque black.

The perennially chic hue vivifies the now-hackneyed vodka martini--with Blavod and onion, the drink suddenly becomes a Full Moon at Midnight. Other groovy mixtures: Black Ice (on the rocks), Black Mary (bloody no more), Black & Blue (with curacao), Double Black (with sambuca) and Black Bumblebee (martini with a long lemon twist). The indispensable Screwdriver surprises by turning green when concocted with Blavod.

Blavod began marketing in Chicago last October, then started working on California and the rest of the country in January. So far, Boston has apparently been left off the guest list. In England, a 70cl frosted bottle of the vodka is available for £11.99.