Our Bartender’s Perspective on Vodka
By Dappered Drinks Correspondent and Official Bartender Michael Bowers
Vodka stirs up strong feelings. From fierce brand loyalty among consumers to anti-vodka screeds spat out by mustachioed bartenders behind the dimly lit mahogany of big city speakeasies—all of the attention hardly seems worth it for something legally defined in the US as flavorless and odorless. Regardless, there are differences between vodkas. Here are some points to consider next time you’re in the market for a bottle:
A good vodka is a vodka that is distinctive, and not only for the flashiness of its bottle. Despite the legal definition, vodka does have flavor and odor, though they are generally too subtle to remain noticeable once mixed.
The best vodkas come from potatoes. Since vodka is so subtle in the flavor department, secondary attributes of the spirit are particularly important. Potatoes lend vodka a unique, creamy texture that isn’t present in grain-based vodkas.
Virtually all vodkas are produced in industrial column stills. A few small producers are putting out vodkas made in hybrid pot stills that combine attributes of column stills and true pot stills. They are profoundly more interesting than column still vodkas and you should seek them out. Some options include Cold River from Maine, Koenig from Idaho, and Adnams from the UK.
Vodka brands often seek to distinguish themselves by running their vodkas through obscene numbers of distillations. In truth, after the third distillation (and some would say after the second), additional distillations have virtually no impact on the final product— except to make it more expensive.
Vodka is the cheapest product behind the bar to produce—pennies on the dollar compared to whiskeys, brandies, and aged rum—yet it is sold at prices comparable to those other spirits. All that extra money vodka companies are pulling in is spent on gimmicks and advertising to make you think there are much bigger differences between products than there really are.
Despite the hype, there is nothing intrinsically stylish or otherwise about vodka. But if it’s all you ever drink, you’ll probably look boring.
About our Bartender – Michael Bowers is the Head Bartender at the Modern Hotel and Bar in Boise, Idaho. His patrons know him for the uncanny precision with which he tends his bar. Michael’s cocktails have been noted by, among others, Food and Wine, Sunset Magazine, and the New York Times. See more in The Drink archive.
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There are essentially two sides to the Vodka world that can essentially be split as Eastern & Western vodkas. In the west we’ve destroyed the idea of Vodka and turned it into a, by definition, drinkable nail polish remover (essentially watered down pure base alcohol, ie Grey Goose[even though it’s French]) in the eastern world (Russia, Ukraine, Poland etc.) they still create vodkas that are meant to have subtle hints of flavourings. A good intro to this would be to try an eastern vodka made with rye and note how it works your palate almost like a Vanilla, Oak-ey whiskey would, start from there and keep exploring.
I just read an interesting bit on vodka. Apparently a pinch of pepper really helps Bond it up: http://10engines.blogspot.com/2011/10/when-life-has-even-run-out-of-lemons-2.html
Hey now what kind of crack-pot website is this? I have cake-flavored vodka in my freezer right now.
I started drinking Vodka on a regular basis earlier this year (less calories, no bloating, etc), I am fan of Tito’s out of Austin, TX, not a lot of bars are stocking in yet but it is very good for the price point ($20 to $25).
Dunno, I still love my vodka gimlets, but I’m not a big drinker and don’t want to cultivate a taste for whiskey or scotch.
I’m a vodka hater. I think you can get something which much greater complexity in gin, and the ‘good’ gins (think Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire) are nowhere near as expensive as good vodkas like ~tha Goose~. Sure, smaller makers and some brands like Hendrick’s can get pretty steep, but still. Also, if I’m gonna watch my calories and just drink something on the rocks? It’s gonna be gin.
Vodka is my go-to beverage of choice, generally vodka-soda.
I have found Polish vodkas to be the best, as this is where vodka was invented (not Russia) and it was first made from rye. Sobieski is a great rye brand that can be had for super cheap. Luksusowa is another Polish brand except made from potatoes, and is also very cheap (both bottles can be had for around $20 for the handle). I believe both of these brands rank in the top 3-5 vodkas that people actually drink in Poland (vs. the gimmick vodkas like grey goose, etc).
Look for them, try them, I bet you will like them (can be hard to find as the bottles are not very flashy).
And if that makes me look boring, oh well. Drink what you like, life’s too short to care what people think of your drink.
Tito’s is decent stuff, although has become more manufactured once they started shipping it all over the country. I feel like they must have changed something in their process once they started to make it big.
I’ll note that Chopin is arguably the best brand of vodka in any category, but at $30+ for a fifth, its pretty pricey (I’d argue that Luksusowa is pretty darn close, if not the same, too)
Tiros has become my go to brand as well. Smooth stuff.
I blame companies like Pinnacle for giving vodka a bad name. They have 29 (!) flavors according to their website and damn near all of them make me shudder just thinking about them. They’ve abused the fact that vodka is like a blank canvas that can all manner of crap dumped on it to appeal to college-aged idiots. You simply can’t do to whiskey or gin what Pinnacle does to vodka, and I’ll go ahead and be so bold to say that if you see anyone other than a sorority girl walking out of a liquor store with gummy bear flavored vodka, it’s your duty to stage an immediate intervention!
My two favorite go-to vodka brands are Reyka, from Iceland, and Prairie, which is an organic American vodka. Both have interesting characteristics and will run between $20-$30 depending on where you buy them.
I’m one of those vodka haters you speak of.
When I was in college not so long ago, cheap vodka was the drink (or rather, the “mixer”) of choice for people seeking to get drunk quickly without having to deal with the taste of alcohol or “real” alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, cocktails). Imagine Nalgenes and paper cups full of soda or orange juice, plus vodka. Since I was not one of those people, but was often one of the ones stuck cleaning up their literal and figurative mess, I’ve developed a fairly strong bias against vodka on principal.
As MagM said, I wouldn’t waste money on vodka when I can get a good gin, whose complex flavor still stands on its own in cocktails from the simple gin and tonic to the gimlet to the classic martini.
My favorite gin vs. vodka anecdote goes a little something like this: A bartender friend of mine was talking to another bartender, who claims to have invented the perfect martini. My friend is of the old school, of course, in which a martini is made from gin and dry vermouth, stirred and not shaken. So he asks the other bartender what this perfect martini was. The other bartender goes on to describe a drink which consists of vodka shaken with ice and poured over an olive. No gin, not even any vermouth. This guy’s “perfect” martini is literally just watered-down vodka. That story still gives me the lols.
Ugh, cake flavored vodka and a ridiculous night of drinking games with a way too hardy Brit were the cause of a mysterious ankle injury that no one can explain (or dare not say) to me. I still have the slightest pain in my ankle, especially when I wake up, even six months later.
I second Sobieski as a go to vodka of choice. I actually have drank enough vodka in my days to have some discerning taste…sobieski is a good mixing vodka (vodka tonics) and i usually go for kettle one for my vodka rocks and lime. kettle one just seems the smoothest for that sort of drink and it is still cheap around here (20 a bottle…no tax on military base! weeee).
I have moved on to scotch and whiskey, my go to WTF drink is an old fashioned in which case most of my friends shake there heads on how i can drink such a thing (we are all in our late 20s, early 30s)
Titos is just a fun little bottle to get, everyone looks at it and thinks it is some cheap disgusting stuff until they have a shot of it
I’m a vodka guy and I agree about the Chopin. Big fan of Ultimat too but a bit pricey. I on the other hand just cannot get that into gin. Tastes like Christmas trees.
I’m glad to hear Sobieski has already been mentioned (twice!). Sobieski is my go-to vodka. Produced in Poland from Dankowski Rye, it is named after a 17th century Polish king and military leader.
In 2007, Sobieski was ranked as the #1 vodka by the Beverage Tasting Institute, based on a blind tasting of 108 different vodkas. It has been ranked in the 99th percentile of vodkas by other reviews.
For around $15, you can’t go wrong. The bottle alone is almost worth that much. Incredibly smooth tasting, it works well on ice or in cocktails. I have no affiliation with this company, but I strongly promote it as I tire of seeing people spend more money on a worse product.
Gin smells too much like paint thinner to me
+1 for Prairie. It is the only vodka I’ve actually sought out.
Buy the Sobieski, poor it into the Grey Goose bottles. Bitches love Grey Goose bottles…
I imagine they think vodka is supposed to come in only tall, smoked glass bottles. These are also the people who likely think tequila comes in two varieties — Jose and Patron.
Classy on all accounts…
Tito’s is ok but nothing special. You could do a lot worse of course.
Gin is really a form of flavored vodka when you get right down to it.
Old Fashioned is a great drink, I don’t understand your friends’ problem with it.
Taaka Vodka, Anyone? “Mixes easy… Just add people”? Comes in a plastic bottle? Anyone? No?… ok.
Kettle One beats all in it’s price range, and even a few just above. As for gin, Hendricks wins. The dark and stormy days of summertime may have past, but it’s not quite time for vodka or gin. That’s more December and January for me.
If you define “flavored vodka” as “distilled alcohol with flavor” then I guess virtually all liquors qualify. Other than vodka, of course. Speaking of which, you realize that you’ve just implicitly admitted that vodka is flavorless, right? I thought that was the opposite of the argument that vodka proponents were trying to make.
DELICIOUS paint thinner.
I’m a fan and disagree with the blanket statement that the best vodka comes from potatoes. Ebb + Flow is the best vodka I’ve had: http://www.drinkspirits.com/vodka/ebb-flow-vodka-review/
That’s funny… to me, vodka smells like nail polish remover, and gin smells like Christmas.
My go to vodka is whatever is cheap. My taste testing tells me one is not that much more odorless, colorless or tasteless than the other. My saved money goes into my whiskey, gin, rum budgets; you know stuff that’s actually difficult to distill.
During any boom you will see tons of new vodka distilleries open since it is basically ethyl alcohol with zero aging. Try to start a whiskey distillery with zero sales for the 3yrs (minimum) its aged in oak.
I have to put in a vote for Luksusowa, “w” is a “v” sound. Really under-rated vodka. I have convinced all my friends to only buy this brand. Very smooth and inexpensive. I occasionally try other vodkas and keep coming back to it.
I didn’t claim to be a vodka proponent…I drink it sometimes but prefer beer and whiskey
However to play along, just because gin is ‘flavored vodka’ doesn’t necessarily imply that vodka is ‘flavorless’.
My point was that as far as I know vodka and gin are basically made the same way, but gin has herbal flavorings added. I don’t think you can say that about virtually all liquors. Not that I’m an expert cuz I’m not.
Definitely seconding the recommendation of Koenig. I am definitely one of those anti-vodka snobs, but I bought a bottle of Koenig once b/c it was fairly cheap and I needed a good base for some fruit liqueur I was making. I ended up drinking the bottle straight, instead, and now keep it regularly stocked. Sold me on the idea of potato vodka.
it is! but us younger folks don’t go for it that much. I started drinking it because i wanted a drink that was stiffer than any mixed drinks or beer, mostly because A: it looks cool and unique B: it tastes great C: it also keeps me from going nuts because the price is usually a little more expensive than a beer and its stiff enough that it keeps me from chugging it. (needless to say I thought i had to cut back and drinking…and i am not saying my switch has been the sole reason i cut back but it has helped me stay in control more when i go out….figured after i hit 25 i needed to start acting classier when i was out, best choice i ever made!)
I don’t generally drink vodka much anymore. If I do, it’s Sobiebski. I never used it in mixed drinks. What’s the point? There’s not enough flavor to stand up to whatever your mixing with. The only way I’ll drink vodka is: 1. Iced cold, straight up; 2. On the rocks; 3. A martini with 3 oz. vodka, 1 teaspoon dry vermouth, and a dash of orange bitters.
Vodka, to me, is a beginner’s spirit for those who aren’t quite ready for gin or whiskey.
As out of place as this comment is -I laughed when I read this.
I think it does a good job of highlighting the fact that so many people have been lulled by marketing schemes into the “lifestyle” so many brands sell. Which is, in essence, what all brands are doing. I’m just stating that so many people take what is given to them rather than seeking anything new out. Man, that’s a value judgment right there.
I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that… -Yes I am. I want people to go seek new things, new experiences and get away from ads.
Sorry, tangent.
Anyways.
Funny comment. Sad reality.
Zubrowka anyone? Also known as Bison Grass vodka? Had it in a vodka martini at a bar in St. Louis called Sub Zero. They claim to have the largest vodka selection in the world. Anyway, the Zubrowka was actually pretty good. It’s probably the only vodka I’ve liked, and I can’t seem to find it anywhere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zubrowka
I think Alex has is right, most people who talk about how boring vodka is have just only tasted the westernized version. I lived for two years in eastern europe and we made vodka from apricots, mulberries, cornelian cherries, grapes, and anything else you can think of. These vodkas were not “flavored” like smirnoff where they take vodka and dump in some flavoring, these vodkas were unique and complex just like different types of gin or whiskey. I suppose some of them did turn out to taste a little like nail polish remover, but some could be quite good.
My understanding is that good gin (“real” gin) is made one of two ways: Either by re-distilling a neutral spirit with the juniper berries and other flavorings, or by actually incorporating the flavors during the primary distillation process, in which the vaporized spirit percolates through the flavor ingredients to absorb their taste and aroma.
It’s more akin to other traditional flavored spirits like absinthe, bitters, akvavit and fruit brandies than to modern “flavored” liquors that really are just a liquor with some kind of flavor added well after the actual distillation process.
There’s no evidence really of where Vodka (as we know it today) was “invented” the only thing Poland can lay claim to is the term “Vodka” appears in Polish print long before it first appears in Russian, but what was ‘Vodka’ back then would only have a few, if any, characteristics familiar with Vodkas from the present day…
Luksusowa is a great option for people with gluten intolerances too
I like Russian Standard vodka….very smooth…..
Gin tastes like I’m drinking a pine tree, IMO.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried to like it – my brother and girlfriend swear by G&T’s, but I just can’t develop the taste for it.
Looks like you enjoy KETEL One so much that it helps misread the spelling of the label for you 😉
Did I miss the part about “how to buy it”?
Don’t over pay, look for hybrid pot stills, don’t get caught up in the number of times it has been distilled, etc…
Boyd and Blair is made right here in Pittsburgh. Made from local PA potatoes, Spirits magazine recently rated it the #1 Vodka in the world.
Another gin drinker over here. Since I only buy vodka for my guests, and my friends always drink it mixed, I buy what’s on sale. I don’t want to serve them the cheap/bad stuff, but I’m not going to spend $30+ on something they are just going to mix with cranberry juice or [yuck] red bull.
touche
Boyd & Blair is a great domestic potato vodka that certainly rivals bigger-name imports at the same price point. Check it out.
What brands might be the most accurate translation of a Vesper vodka Martini into modern times? The brands have reformulated and changed since the recipe was first written. Can anyone figure out what an accurate translation of “three parts Gordon’s (gin), one part Vodka, half-part Kina Lillet, shaken over ice with a lemon twist” to 2011 formulas and brands? Let me know, unless I am crazy. Just wanting the closest taste to Ian Fleming’s intentions. I think I’ve heard things on Russian vodka if anyone knows about that.
Speaking as someone who drinks a lot, and likes essentially every spirit that exists…vodka is not for me.
Basically, it just sucks.
But why vodka when there’s gin? So much more flavor. And class.
And yes, it does taste sort of like a Christmas tree, but in a good way. The herbal flavors are very pleasant, but when mixed properly, not overbearing.
I’m not a Vodka hater, but I don’t see it’s purpose, really, other than for getting hammered. It’s virtually tasteless, so it’s great for shooting. If you want to get drunk off your ass really fast, Vodka is the way to go.
Dripping Springs is a Texas Vodka worth checking out. I enjoy it more than Tito’s