A Booze Thread, Part 1: Vodka
Coldwarrior calls for Happy Hour, the bar is open.
Submitted for 23 JAN 2010
Well, its been quite a week. Its now Senator Brown (R, MA), Mumia is going to fry, Air America is out of business, McCain/Feingold is gutted, and Hellcare has been dealt a serious blow. So, yours truly would like to take a victory lap and talk about something a little less serious, ‘booze’, as Frank would say.
So, put on some Sand’s era Rat Pack, mix a drink, and kick back and have a read.
Vodka, has been around continually since if was first distilled in Easter Europe in the 700’s A.D. The name Vodka comes from the Russian word for water, ‘Voda’. Interestingly, the Gaelic for whiskey is ‘uisce beatha’, or ‘the water of life’. Where vodka was born is up for debate. I have seen data that would back either Poland or Scandinavia; however, the Russians are what made vodka famous and started commercial production in the 14th century, so the Russians get credit for vodka like the Spanish get credit for discovering America even though the Scandinavians discovered and attempted to colonize it 500 years earlier. Since the Scandinavians got ripped off twice in one paragraph, lets give them credit for Lutafisk and colonizing the Lutheran Upper Midwest.
If we look at the climate and crops, it makes sense that northern Europe would distill grains or potatoes while the southern Europeans made wine from grapes. Vodka can be made from any crop that contains starches that can be turned into sugars so that yeast can ferment the sugars into ethyl alcohol, aka: neutral grain spirits. The key to vodka is quality of ingredients, quality of the water, and the amount of times it was filtered/distilled. Don’t let the price fool you, there are some Vodka’s that are better than the ultra-premiums for half the price.
Vodka is not like the other liquors, it is not held in barrels to age, the grains used to produce it are not smoked like Scotch Whiskey, and the taste of what brought the sugars to the yeast party are not overwhelming like Rum. Vodka is a subtle booze; grain based vodka has a bite and a light texture, potato vodka are smooth tasting and have more body (feel in the mouth) than grain based vodka. Vodka does not have to be made by just wheat or spuds, some brands use grapes, rye, and combinations of each. The most important aspect of Vodka is that it is the ultimate cocktail base, when mixed, it will take on the flavors of the other ingredients and not overpower the mix.
Here is some quick recommendations, take ’em or leave’ em: Polish Vodka: Sobieski is rye vodka that is virtually absent of tastes. These are the guys that took on the ultra-premiums and won every time. Blevedere, a Polish super-premium has a vanilla and almond tone. Luksusowa (luxury in Polish) is the classic potato vodka, so it has a superior mouth feel and is very smooth.
Russian Vodka: Stolichnaya (people’s vodka) is the original import made from grain, so there is a note of wheat and rye at the end; Stoli is ubiquitous, and always a good bet. Superia is made from wheat and artesian spring water in the Caucuses, very clean and smooth. Russian Standard is my second favorite (Jewel of Russia being the best ever, end of argument) Standard is distilled four times and filtered until there is nothing but a nice wheat overtone.
American Vodka: Tito’s Handmade Vodka, “Unanimous Double Gold Medal Winner of the World Spirits Competition! Distilled six times. Tito’s Handmade vodka is designed to be savored by spirit connoisseurs. It is micro-distilled in an old-fashioned pot still, just like the fine single malt scotches and high-end French cognacs. This time-honored method of distillation requires more skill and effort than modern column stills, but it;s well worth it. Our handcrafted technique offers more control over the distillation process, resulting in a spectacularly clean product of incomparable excellence”.
There is no better American Vodka. This is straight alcohol and water. The perfect Martini Vodka. Coldwarrior says, if you like Vodka, just try Tito’s (I am not affiliated with Tito’s in any way)
Coming up in part 2: Happy Hour and making great drinks.
Tags: Drinking Thread
