Vodka

[Defender968]

Originally Posted by chance

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

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.

[mdb23]

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

[B219]

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]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

Yeah, the same place you purchase all your wine.

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.

[echoes]

Ketel One. There is a difference!
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]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

There is no truth in Pravda.

TR

Should have known better than to speak Russian on an SF forum.

[JMI]

CHOPIN VODKA
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.

[B219]

Originally Posted by echoes

Ketel One. There is a difference!
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.

[JGarcia]

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.

[vsvo]

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.

[JMI]

Originally Posted by vsvo

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]

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.

[smp52]

Cheap but effective and good - Monopolowa (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 and Jewel of Russia. 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]

I'm not a vodka fan,however when I do drink it....It's Stoli,direct from the freezer.

[Red Flag 1]

Seldom drink vodka.

Grey Goose if I have a choice.

RF 1