Melkon Khosrovian began making flavored vodkas for his wife, Litty Mathew, because she didn’t like the “fossil-fuel burn” of the spirit straight up. Soon friends were asking for batches of their own, and Mathew, a former Cordon Bleu student, joined her husband in the lab – Monrovia factory. In 2004, they launched Modern Spirits, a line of flavored artisanal sipping vodkas. Along with savory versions such as tea (the most versatile), celery-peppercorn (with aromatics), and truffle, the vodkas are known for farmers’ market flavors like chocolate-orange and grapefruit-honey (a multi-award winner). The expansion potential seems unlimited: There’s also Bergamot limoncello for summer and pumpkin pie vodka for the holidays.