View Full Version : Vodka
Roguish Lawyer
04-07-2008, 16:30
Which ones do you like and why?
Unless you're a vodka martini snob, why does it matter?! :D Potato juice is potato juice.
Actually, if you mix it, I can rarely tell the difference. But, having done some research,,, the cheaper brands tend to have a rubbing alcohol taste. There is some "pepper" to the more expensive brands like Stoli. The best taste for the buck is Smirnoff, IMO. But one to avoid for sure is Absolut (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2008/04/mexico-reconque.html), just because of this.
Interested to hear more "findings". :munchin
- Cynic
If martinis are on the menu, I like Grey Goose. I like Noilly Prat vermouth, and the combination of the two tastes really good.
If I am using vodka as a neutral spirit to mix with other ingredients that will dominate the flavor of the drink (bloody marys for myself or cosmopolitans for Mrs. Auditor), I will use Stoli because I can't justify the price point if I can't taste the difference.
Roguish Lawyer
04-07-2008, 18:31
Thanks for the insight guys. :rolleyes:
You are drinking it straight, OK?
Straka, taste like Courvoisier Cognac. It is amber color and aged with some neat stuff.
2018commo
04-07-2008, 18:53
Tito’s, hand made; small batch from Austin, Texas. Once you try it, you will be hooked. It’s very clean vodka, smooth, no bite or after taste. I like it straight warm or cold or as a martini, no vermouth please; as long as the bottle is in the same room you are a go.
By the way it’s priced in line with Absolute.
Have one in hand as I type…:lifter
Team Sergeant
04-07-2008, 18:57
You are drinking it straight, OK?
Yes, and I'd go for Grey Goose if I were to purchase it again.
For some strange reason Grey Goose had a very different "smoothness" (if that is a good description) to it than other vodka's.
I'm an big fan of SKY Vodka and Ketel One, the Ketel One is a smooth almost sweet tasting vodka that I do like to drink straight up were the Sky vodka is also good but I like it for my dirty martinis. Also these are good quality vodkas so theres no chance for a hang over if you go on a beng:lifter
Goose, Belvedere or Ketel One
Roguish Lawyer
04-07-2008, 19:14
You guys know where Grey Goose is made, right? :munchin
You guys know where Grey Goose is made, right? :munchin
They can do some things right, some........I'm not defending them, OK!!! :D
Ketel or the Goose. I'm a TQ drinker.
For sipping out of the freezer (no rocks!) I think Fris is nice. Nice, being admittedly, probably more a favored female than male quality. :p Smooth without a kerosene aftertaste.
Close second is Stolichnaya. Has a nice peppery bite without feeling like you are about to breathe fire. The Russians know what they are doing in vodka; the French? Not so much.
Team Sergeant
04-08-2008, 07:22
You guys know where Grey Goose is made, right? :munchin
Yeah, the same place you purchase all your wine.:munchin
I rarely drink vodka and only tasted it at a party, cannot say I've ever purchased it.;)
Patriot007
04-08-2008, 08:41
Try Pravda (Poland) instead of that Frog Juice.
The Reaper
04-08-2008, 09:13
Try Pravda (Poland) instead of that Frog Juice.
There is no truth in Pravda.:D
TR
Defender968
04-08-2008, 09:20
I'm an big fan of SKY Vodka and Ketel One, the Ketel One is a smooth almost sweet tasting vodka that I do like to drink straight up were the Sky vodka is also good but I like it for my dirty martinis. Also these are good quality vodkas so theres no chance for a hang over if you go on a beng:lifter
I'd agree, I’m a Sky fan as well, not that I’m a huge vodka drinker, but I do drink it on occasion, considering it’s less expensive, usually rated very highly and I personally think it's smoother than Smirnoff or Absolute. Grey Goose is very good, but I don't like to support the French, and I don’t think it’s worth the extra cash IMHO.
Thor's Hammer Vodka. I just liked the name, and at one time the stuff came in a glass bottle shaped like Thor, Check out their website, it's a riot.
http://www.thorshammervodka.com/index.html
Grey Goose was engineered 1997 by Sydney Frank from the ground up to be an expensive drink. Vodka was picked because it’s really simple. And France was picked because there was no competition, and the “frou-frou” factor associated with all things French. Which when you want to market a drink made for $15 martinis, “frou-frou” is your targeted market.
And so the “designer” vodka market was born. Now there’s Ketel One, Belvedere, Chopin, Van Gogh, Three Olives…others.
*(Thor's Hammer Vodka doesn't count -no "frou-frouness" whatsoever, and it's proof percentage will probably kill anyone under 105lbs.)
Because of the lower alcohol content in most of these designer vodkas, unless they are flavored, they taste the same, like a watered down Smirnoff or Stolichnaya. But they were never intended to be a shot drink.
Stoli has been flavoring vodka for 15yrs, but that was more just to get it to where girls who didn’t grow up in one of the former Soviet Republics could drink it straight.
Stoli or Smirnoff will mix with anything to taste, even beer and wine. That is, you can use more vodka before you taste it than other types of liquors, in most cases.
.
If the drink needs less vodka taste, use less or water it down. That’s all designer vodka is…premium distilled vodka and water.
Either way, S. Frank just sold Grey Goose to Bacardi for a cool $2 billion.
Roguish Lawyer
04-08-2008, 10:28
Yeah, the same place you purchase all your wine.:munchin
I rarely drink vodka and only tasted it at a party, cannot say I've ever purchased it.;)
I do not buy French wine. Unless it's a really old bottle being sold by an American. :p
Ketel One. There is a difference!:lifter
Schiedam, Holland, distilled since 1691.
Would like to buy Gen. Petraeus a bottle or two, for his candor in dealing with these DimoRats questions today. (Anyone see Sen. Boxer? Looks like she is sporting a "certain kind of necklace" here...What a POS!)
Sorry...back to Vodka!
Holly
Patriot007
04-08-2008, 15:10
There is no truth in Pravda.:D
TR
Should have known better than to speak Russian on an SF forum.
CHOPIN VODKA (http://www.chopinvodka.com/)
I drink Chopin most of the time.
If I have to do with something else, it is Belvedere.
Grey Goose is all commercial and overpriced.
Ketel One. There is a difference!:lifter
Schiedam, Holland, distilled since 1691.
Would like to buy Gen. Petraeus a bottle or two, for his candor in dealing with these DimoRats questions today. (Anyone see Sen. Boxer? Looks like she is sporting a "certain kind of necklace" here...What a POS!)
Sorry...back to Vodka!
Holly
Roger that, Ketel One is as smooth as 40% ABV vodka gets. After 300 yrs of making vodka the Nolet family know their craft.
Ketel was a high end vodka for under $30 a bottle before the introduction of "Citron" and subsequent price increases to match the designer market.
The only reason Ketel One doesn't have a bigger market share is they don't make enough of it.
The recent deal between Nolet and Diageo should take care of that a bit.
I'm a Vodka snob.
My favorite Vodka, International is without a doubt, Żubrówka ("Bison" in English). Some Polish guys introduced me to it, and I have been drinking it ever since. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zubrovka
Domestic, is a run of the mill name brand, Smirnoff. I taste tested myself, and found out I preferred Smirnoff over Grey Goose.
We were out with the in-laws a couple of months ago. My brother-in-law insisted we try Cîroc, instead of ordering something with Grey Goose like we normally do. The Cîroc was definitely smoother, and did not seem to "burn" as much. Maybe that's because it's French and made from grapes, but we did like it and bought a couple of bottles for the house. I fall into the camp that drinks vodka mixed with other stuff, so I'm not that discerning.
We were out with the in-laws a couple of months ago. My brother-in-law insisted we try Cîroc, instead of ordering something with Grey Goose like we normally do. The Cîroc was definitely smoother, and did not seem to "burn" as much. Maybe that's because it's French and made from grapes, but we did like it and bought a couple of bottles for the house. I fall into the camp that drinks vodka mixed with other stuff, so I'm not that discerning.
Ciroc is outstanding Vodka. I tried some last night on a recommendation by the bartender, and will new be switching over.
JolieAmie
04-12-2008, 10:49
I currently live in France and mostly associate with a 20 something crowd. Grey Goose doesn't register on their radar. Definitely a vodka made to sell in the US.
I have found a great and inexpensive (14€) Polish vodka called Zubrowka. It is made with bison grass and has a great and unique taste. Unforunately it is banned in the US. Some nonsense about the essence of bison grass being a natural blood thinner. :lifter
Cheap but effective and good - Monopolowa (http://video.funknetz.at/monopolowa_proj/frame.htm) (found at Trader Joes for 10 bucks). It's easy on the budget and pretty much the same if not better in taste than most 20-30 dollar bottles.
Mid Range: Titos and Grey Goose
Higher end: Ultimat (http://www.beveragewarehouse.com/search/more_info.php?item_id=4360) and Jewel of Russia (http://www.jewelofrussia.com/). I've tried quite a few and these two have provided the same satisfaction to me, on par with a good Scotch (Blue Label, Macallan 18).
greenberetTFS
08-12-2008, 13:50
I'm not a vodka fan,however when I do drink it....It's Stoli,direct from the freezer. :D
Red Flag 1
08-12-2008, 15:48
Seldom drink vodka.
Grey Goose if I have a choice.
RF 1
Trip_Wire (RIP)
08-12-2008, 16:31
I'm not a vodka fan,however when I do drink it....It's Stoli,direct from the freezer. :D
'Stolichnaya' Russian Vodka! The only way to go! Very cold from the freezer! :cool:
Zhelayu vsego horoshego!
'Stolichnaya' Russian Vodka! The only way to go! Very cold from the freezer! :cool:
Zhelayu vsego horoshego!
Here's a tip for those who would like to have ice cold vodka for longer periods outside of the freezer.. Go to the store and buy a Gallon of milk in a plastic jug. Do what ever you prefer to end up with an empty milk jug.
Fill the bottom of the jug with about an inch and a half of water, put it in the freezer and freeze it to form a 'base.'
At this point you have two options:
A.) 'fufu presentation' option. Place the vodka bottle in the jug ( you could also use the 'cardboard wax box version of a milk carton)and fill around it with water. Inside around the bottle you can place fruit, or whatever you want and freeze it.
B.) Bare bones option: put the bottle in the jug, fill around it with water and freeze it.
Next, if you chose the 'fufu presentation' option, cut away the plastic or cardbord from the outside of the ice.
If you chose the bare bones option, who cares..The vodka is cold and will remain that way with a big fat convenient handle for pouring!:cool:
Enjoy your ice cold vodka for as long the bottle lasts you..
Five O'clock Vodka...or anything that comes in a plastic bottle really.
Snaquebite
11-03-2009, 17:40
Not a big vodka drinker here, but I do like an occasional dirty martini, usually made with Grey Goose. Read aboud something so I thought I'd give it a try,
The Pickletini....or Dirty Pickle
Basically a dirty martini but made with pickle juice instead of olive.
If you like dill pickles as much as I do, give it a try....
3 oz vodka
1 oz vermouth
1 oz pickle juice (dill)
topped off with a couple of gerkins.
BTW, that new Crystal Head Vodka promoted by Dan Ackroyd is pretty good, but not worth the price.
Pretty good story though...
http://crystalheadvodka.com/#
BTW, that new Crystal Head Vodka promoted by Dan Ackroyd is pretty good, but not worth the price.
That is the problem,, most are not worth the price.. Only because I am not one to spend a lot of time and money trying all the latest-n-greatest..
I drink it on the rocks,, When I have a choice, it's Grey G..
I de-caffeinate & de-sugar myself after dinner,, so no Cuba-Libre,, my default libation.. When the sun goes down,, it's the see-thru whiskey..
My bud buys Popov,, about as cheap as it gets,, he goes for volume not taste. BUTT, Popov has a surprisingly not bad taste. A little raw, but no after taste.
PS: Old Hindu trick,, When at a party, I start with a nice Vodka on the rocks,, there after, every other drink is H2O. I get through the nite without acting like an a$$, can pass the road side test and no-one-knows..
PPS: I prefer to have the parties at my place...
I was in Poland a few years back for a wedding, and they pounded two things into my head. IMHO I certainly agree with point number two.
1) Vodka is Polish not Russian.
2) Wyborowa is the best vodka.
For cooking purposes,
Mr Boston or Popov gets my vote....
When drinking a plain vodka, Ketel One is good.
If that's not available, Three Olives works just fine.
However my cocktail of choice using vodka is:
1.25 oz Sweet Carolina Sweet Tea Vodka (the new flavors are good as well)
Fill with water
Splash of sour mix
Garnish with a lemon
hypereclipse21
11-04-2009, 00:02
For cooking purposes,
Mr Boston or Popov gets my vote....
When drinking a plain vodka, Ketel One is good.
If that's not available, Three Olives works just fine.
However my cocktail of choice using vodka is:
1.25 oz Sweet Carolina Sweet Tea Vodka (the new flavors are good as well)
Fill with water
Splash of sour mix
Garnish with a lemon
Right on, brother.
Ghostiger7
11-04-2009, 00:58
+1 on the Skyy;)
Good mixer and not too heavy on the wallet
plus a clean taste / subtle flavor when drinking straight
I have found a great and inexpensive (14€) Polish vodka called Zubrowka. It is made with bison grass and has a great and unique taste. Unforunately it is banned in the US. Some nonsense about the essence of bison grass being a natural blood thinner. :lifter
I can find Zubrowka at my local liquor stores with no problem, and I have never been aware that it has ever been banned.
I was in Poland a few years back for a wedding, and they pounded two things into my head. IMHO I certainly agree with point number two.
1) Vodka is Polish not Russian.
2) Wyborowa is the best vodka.
Spoken truth.
Belvedere came out with a new blend called Belvedere IX. I saw the unique dark colored bottle, and was interested in it so I picked it up. It is 50 proof, and has a blend of cinnamon leaf, sweet almond, eucalyptus, acai juice, black cherry, jasmine, ginseng, ginger and guarana. Needless to say the bottle was a hit and was gone very fast at a Polish wedding that I had purchased it for, alongside a bottle of Zubrowka.
I would LOVE to get my hands on a bottle of Vodka Kalashnakov in the original bottle.
http://www.vodkakalashnikov.com/home.htm
I even found someone willing to export it, but I don't know how old the site is or if the person is honest.
http://kalashnikov-weapons-museum.ak47-guide.com/ak47vodka-special.html
Kalashnakov now endorses a new brand, Kalashnakov Vodka (reversed name) in a normal glass bottle and one of the two importers is here in Charleston. I haven't picked any up yet, but the draw just isn't there for me without the original bottle. For now, I think Level vodka is a good one that hasn't been named.
The older I get, the further I drift away from vodka towards scotch. :D
6.8SPC_DUMP
11-04-2009, 14:47
Belvedere out of the freezer was the best I've had - never tried Żubrówka or Wyborowa.
Not a Vodka guy but keep Svedka for company. I wouldn't be surprised if some Bar Managers refill their Grey Goose bottles with it after bar tenders gave away too many free rounds.
Svedka is one of the best values that money can buy! Svedka's secret is using three pounds of high quality wheat to produce each bottle. A five column distillation process lasting over 40 hours is used for purification. The outcome is so smooth that no customary charcoal filtration is required. The purest water available is used for the master blend. 93 points and a Best Buy: "shows a tightly knit set of characteristics that deserves applause," the Wine Enthusiast
http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1013690
I wouldn't be surprised if some Bar Managers refill their Grey Goose bottles with it after bar tenders gave away too many free rounds.
-All depends on the bar, although most bars/nightclubs are morally flexible to say the least.
Thought these would go with the AK vodka nicely. (http://www.uncrate.com/men/home/bar/ak-ice-tray/)
Not great, but the bottle is kinda cool.
Sacamuelas
11-05-2009, 00:23
WD-
Dan akroyd was down here marketing for that crystal head vodka not long ago. I bought some. I didn't think that particular vodka was outstanding either.
My vote is for stoli in the freezer.
WD-
Dan akroyd was down here marketing for that crystal head vodka not long ago. I bought some. I didn't think that particular vodka was outstanding either.
My vote is for stoli in the freezer.
Agreed, Stoli, nice pick!
I took the skull head to the next level, Bloodymary for breakfast last Sunday morning.
In view of the economic hard times, I have found a really good and economical sipping vodka. Sobieski is pretty smooth and costs half of what you pay for Grey Goose. Plus you get to enrich the coffers of one of my favorite actors, Bruce Willis, who is part owner. :D
mojaveman
09-29-2011, 14:43
Forgot the name but had some raspberry tinted vodka while visiting relatives in Eastern Europe a few years ago and it was pretty good. Those folks over there were drinking it shot after shot. I stopped after about five. Nostrovia!
ZonieDiver
09-29-2011, 15:32
Some friends of friends run this distillery - Black Rock Distillery - in Spray, Oregon. They make 9 Rocks vodka. Purty durned good.
http://www.dailyastorian.com/news/northwest/spirits-bolster-small-town-economy/article_db4acbc6-8634-11e0-8227-001cc4c002e0.html
Some friends of friends run this distillery - Black Rock Distillery - in Spray, Oregon. They make 9 Rocks vodka. Purty durned good.
http://www.dailyastorian.com/news/northwest/spirits-bolster-small-town-economy/article_db4acbc6-8634-11e0-8227-001cc4c002e0.html
I'll concure with that. We stopped in there a while back and picked up a few bottles. I'm not a vodka drinker normally and I enjoyed it.
aiki ins
10-19-2011, 12:48
If price is no object, Level, an Absolut brand, or Zyr. Both distilled from grain get my vote.
For a less expensive alternative, Russian Standard. Again a grain vodka.
I drink em' straight with olives immaculate and ice cold!;)
cant hardly
10-19-2011, 13:32
.
I spent almost 6 years in Russia and when I "have" to drink vodka (it became work) I only drink it straight and preferrable, cold. I liked Kauffman -- very smooth, seriously very smooth.
Russkij Standard Platinum was more available and favored outside of Moscow in the other provinces -- mostly because it was more available.
I just found out about Bruce Willis and Sobieski Vodka partnering (http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110816005657/en/Sobieski-Vodka-Bruce-Willis-Partner-Support-Fisher) to raise funds for The Fisher House Foundation. Good deal!
ZonieDiver
11-14-2011, 06:09
Years ago, a friend and I held a double blind vodka tasting at a party to displel some rumors- namely that Grey Goose was good.
The contenders: Stoli, Grey Goose, Ketel One, Smirnoff, and Everclear watered down with distilled water to 80 proof.
Stoli won, followed closely by Smirnoff. Then Ketel One and Everclear.
Grey Goose was dead last.
No original bottles were present, I filled identical decanters and labeled them with letters, and a friend who did not know what was in each, served them.
The sample size was 28. The only people who liked Grey Goose were those who drank it regularly.
That being said, IMO vodka is a vehicle for intoxication, and not really to be savored. And a martini is made with gin and vermouth. I don't know what chilled vodka (sans vermouth) in a glass is called, but it is not a martini. :mad:
You probably go into a bar and expect the bartender to be able to make a Tom Collins, or his evil, less-good-looking brother John Collins! You've got to find a bartender almost as old as I in order to succeed at that.
I once had a customer ask for a very dry martini. I asked, "How dry?" He said, "Just whisper the word 'Vermouth' across it." He was British. Tipped well. A rarity.
The Reaper
11-14-2011, 16:43
We took the out laws to Bern's steakhouse in Tampa.
They have a graduated system for wait staff so that you have to have been there a long time to make waiter. Great service!
My father in law asked for a dry martini. The waiter asked him if he wanted one drop of vermouth, or two, and whipped out an eyedropper.
He got a great tip.
TR
We took the out laws to Bern's steakhouse in Tampa.
They have a graduated system for wait staff so that you have to have been there a long time to make waiter. Great service!
My father in law asked for a dry martini. The waiter asked him if he wanted one drop of vermouth, or two, and whipped out an eyedropper.
He got a great tip.
TR
TR Sir,
You know great service starts with the Chef of any place, IMVHO.:)
Always good to hear that folks enjoy well prepared food....it makes everything worth it!:munchin
Holly
mark46th
11-14-2011, 18:06
Mojave- Mix Raspberry vodka and and lemonade. I have mentioned this in another thread but it is great in hot weather....
Ken Brock
11-17-2011, 20:23
I like Zubrowka and Luksusowa
ECUPirate09
11-17-2011, 21:22
Five O'clock Vodka...or anything that comes in a plastic bottle really.
Jesus, I'm a college student and I can't drink 5 O'clock. Or Aristocrat (any time a company makes tequilla, rum and vodka, it's probably a no-go, IMO).