The complete guide to Vodka

«'The generalization of the word "vodka"»

The introduction of Cîroc vodka by the Diageo Group at the beginning of 2000 triggered hostilities between countries producing traditional vodka and more recent market entrants. Indeed, the vodka distilled in France from grape alcohol was a source of controversy. This dispute would eventually be brought before no less than the European Parliament!

Traditionalists maintain that only alcohol produced from cereals, potatoes or sugar beet molasses should be granted the name 'vodka'. According to them, these raw materials produce a specific range of aromas that is distinctive to each vodka. Conversely, modernists believe that taste and, consequently, raw material matter little in vodka production.

Regardless of the debate on the significance of taste in vodka, it was economic and financial interests that influenced the final ruling at the end of 2007. In 2006, a German politician proposed that bottle labels should specify the nature of the alcohol used when the raw ingredients differ from those dictated by tradition. This proposal was ratified, to the great chagrin of traditionalists who had hoped for a more restrictive law.

«'Vodka, a matter of style and taste»

TRADITIONAL VODKAS: EASTERN STYLE

These vodkas are traditionally produced in Eastern European and Scandinavian countries – Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Ukraine. Eastern style vodka producers pay strong attention to raw material (alcohol made from grains, potatoes or sugar beet molasses) and distillation, which is responsible for the aromatic identity of their product and which they would not like to see altered by improper filtering.

MODERN VODKAS: WESTERN STYLE

Produced all across Europe and the United States, these modern vodkas can be made from grain or grape alcohol. In addition to traditional cereals like rye and wheat, the United States and Canada also use corn and molasses. In France, the use of a grape alcohol base is emphasized by producers as a point of difference. But what mainly sets these vodkas apart is an extraordinary aromatic subtlety as well as a significant number of distillations and filtrations performed at different stages of production (early on inside the still, or later through a layer of carbon).

«Flavored vodkas»

These vodkas originated from the practice of home distillation for recreational purposes and medical distillation for treatment purposes. The primary keepers of a long tradition of flavored vodkas are Poland and Russia with several hundred different recipes (Krupnik, Jarzebiak, Wisniowka, Okhotnichaya...), the best known being Zubrowska made from bison grass.
The most frequently used flavors in these vodkas include vanilla, chocolate, honey, cinnamon as well as fruit. However, other ingredients can be used such as bison grass for Zubrowska, responsible for this vodka's slightly sugary taste and golden color.

Flavored vodkas can be produced in three different ways:

MACERATION
ADDITION OF NATURAL ESSENCES
REDISTILLATION

This tradition is not just the prerogative of Poland and Russia or Ukraine. It is equally lively in Nordic countries, where flavored vodkas are very popular as a summer drink.

«Cocktails»

Whether enjoyed neat or in cocktails, vodka is gaining an ever-increasing popularity with a young, sophisticated clientele. Parallel to its success as a refined luxury product, it is equally valued for its practical benefits as an unparalleled cocktail base with a sweet, smooth texture. Vodka has but one setback – a limited range of aromas often marked by neutrality, as is often the case with Western or American vodkas.

Drinking vodka neat, “Russian style” and during meals still leaves Western consumers puzzled. However, the appearance of very aromatic vodkas made from a single distillation in Poland and other countries may breach the wall of skepticism and attract a new clientele.