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.
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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…
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…
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…
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…
We haven’t written anything about Finlandia since it launched its Fusion flavored line — over a decade ago. Now, like every vodka maker under the sun, it’s back with a new approach to flavored vodka, offering two infused vodkas that contain no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or sugars. These don’t claim to be “all natural” infusions…
We’ve covered plenty of whiskeys from Washington, D.C.’s One Eight Distillery over the years, but their earliest spirits, like most craft operations, were of the clear variety. We never got around to their vodka, and although we explored Ivy City Gin in its early days, it has apparently seen some tweaking recently. Let’s tie up…
2022 is shaping up to be an unusual year for the spirits industry. “Learn to live with the pandemic” has become a frequent, optimistic refrain, but what does it mean for an industry that saw many of its customers completely change their drinking habits over the last two years? Never mind the welcome return to…
It’s been 10 long years since our last (and initial) look at Broken Shed Vodka, a spirit made in New Zealand and distilled four times from whey. What’s changed since 2012? Broken Shed Vodka (2022) Review If my tasting notes are any judge, not a lot. The vodka has a distinct sweetness on the nose which…
Remember how we said that fresh, organic infused vodkas were the hottest trend in the category? Well, they say the exception makes the rule, and here it is in the form of Viss, a candy-colored, heavily artificially flavored vodka that’s imbued with a sparkly substance that makes it shimmer in the bottle and in the…
In case you missed it, the big trend in vodka today is more complex infusions that eschew artificial flavors for real botanicals. In the case of Belvedere, it recently dropped a trio of Organic Infusions, each made with “100% organic fruits, spices and botanicals for flavor extraction, relying on the beauty of natural, simple ingredients…