Vodka
Vodka goes in and out of fashion, but not its popularity with drinkers. It remains the biggest-selling spirit in the U.S, and even the Scots drink more vodka than whisky. In the U.S., according to the Code of Federal Regulations, vodka is defined as “neutral spirits so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.” Nevertheless, there are subtle differences between vodka made from potatoes and from grain, for example, two of the most common base products for distilling into vodka. (In recent years, a wide variety of other bases have been used to make vodka.) Infused vodka has usually been infused with natural products (e.g. real lemons), while flavored vodka can mean it contains either natural or artificial flavorings. Rules regarding the acceptable strength of vodka differ slightly around the world. Within the European Union, vodkas can be bottled at as low as 75 proof, while in most countries outside the European Union, and in the U.S., vodka must be at least 80 proof.
Top Vodka Posts:
Grey Goose VX Vodka
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When they said Covid was over, we didn’t think we’d be summarily dropped into a new financial crisis to replace the one we just got out of. The good news is that the holidays have arrived just in time to provide a welcome (if brief) break from yet another year of chaos. At Drinkhacker, we…
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Chile-flavored vodka is typically described as usable only for Bloody Mary cocktails. And that is basically something I agree with. What else have I ever used pepper-infused vodka for? St. George’s expression of pepper vodka isn’t shy. Infused with California jalapenos, habaneros, serranos, and bell peppers, there is no shortage of capsaicin to go around…
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Washington-based craft distillery Heritage Distilling is perhaps best known for their Brown Sugar Bourbon, which appears to have been sold off and become something of celebrity label after entertainer Jamie Foxx made an unspecified investment in the brand in 2021. We reviewed that original expression, along with four whiskeys and a gin, more than five…
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Fainting Goat Spirits in Greensboro, NC is named for, well, fainting goats. I didn’t even know that was a thing, but apparently the occasional goat is indeed myotonic, falling stiff on the ground when startled or frightened but quickly getting back up again. Their resilience and their oddity are both qualities the team at Fainting…
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Hope Town Vodka is made in North Charleston, South Carolina by the folks who brought you Walker’s Cay Bourbon, which is to say, Steven Busch. This one is actually made in SC, not sourced from elsewhere, which is as it should be for an unaged spirit. Distilled six times. A straight vodka and, oddly, one…
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We last encountered Buffalo’s minimalist Tommyrotter in 2019. It doesn’t look like a ton has changed in the last three years, except for the brand’s whiskey lineup. The old American Whiskey is gone, a new Bourbon is in its place. We’ve got fresh tastings on the white spirits and a first look at the bourbon…
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Christopher Pellegrini is trying to do for Japanese shochu what Ron Cooper did with mezcal. The American ex-pat and author of The Shochu Handbook is seeking to “connect the world with artisanal, koji-fermented spirits of Japan.” Honkaku’s portfolio includes koji whiskey, shochu, and aged awamori from 22 family-run distilleries established between 1745 and 1947. We received…
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Skyy Vodka made a huge splash when it arrived on the scene in 1992, a high-end vodka made in San Francisco (and in an iconic blue bottle) at a time when it was thought that the only good vodkas came from Europe or beyond. Now owned by Campari, Skyy recently underwent a reformulation, likely in…
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Another Swiss vodka, we know only that Lucky Fly Vodka (though the bottle looks more like simply “Fly Vodka”) is “distilled from grain.” No other production information is available. Another clean if somewhat anonymous vodka, the nose is gently industrial with a modicum of earthiness to it. A light sweetness endures on a moderately creamy…
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This Swiss vodka is made from organic wheat and is proofed with local water, yet it hits the shelf for $20 a bottle or less. To be sure, there’s not a hell of a lot to it. The nose is clean but moderately medicinal and lightly earthy, with notes of Band-Aids mixing with hints of…
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