“The Russians that created vodka would be rolling in their graves if they knew what was happening in the market now,” says Aaron Baden. A manager at the Liquid Lounge in the Seattle Center’s Experience Music Project, Baden was referring to the flavored vodka craze. Liquid Lounge serves 49 flavored vodkas—yes, that’s 49—priced from $5 to $7 a shot. His most popular cocktail is the Purple Haze ($7.50) made with Finlandia Cranberry.

Vodka’s nature as an odorless, colorless, and tasteless spirit has paradoxically makes it the ultimate vehicle for an unusual array of flavors. “Vodka doesn’t have any base flavor to get in the way of fruit extract,” says Baden, broadening its appeal to a wide spectrum of drinkers, many of whom unabashedly like their drinks on the sweet side.

Consumers “like that sweet and easy flavor,” confirms Rob Ord, bar manager at St. Clouds restaurant in Madrona. He adds that flavored vodka–based drinks are perceived as fun drinks that have less alcohol so “you can drink more without guilt.” What better way to segue into adulthood than dessert without guilt (or presumably calories)? Ord carries six flavored vodkas, and his most popular drink is the Lemon Drop ($7), made with Absolut Citron.

“If you are younger, it gives you an opportunity to drink a martini that’s sweet and more appealing to a less mature palate,” says Tim Murphy, brand director for the Absolut portfolio, confirming the cocktail-as-dessert appeal of these flavors. “More sophisticated palates are going for a higher-end product,” adds Joyce Locke, manager of the Washington State Liquor store at Sixth Avenue and Lenora Street. But the store still carries more than 45 flavored vodkas ($10.65 to $54.95), which it sells to 258 restaurant accounts in downtown Seattle.

Although the young candyheads’ potential interest in these quaffs might seem obvious, vodka marketers wouldn’t comment about possible underage consumption of their products. “The target market for Stoli and Stoli flavors is 21 to 29,” says Ian Crystal, brand manager of Stolichnaya. Liquid Lounge’s Baden says, “There might be some residual implications for younger drinkers.” His own feeling about the craze? “The whole trend is getting to be really played out.”