In the spirits world, Vodka is a bit of an anomaly. It’s been underrated and underappreciated but is still the best selling spirit in the western world.
Since the advent of the craft cocktail movement, Vodka has taken a back seat to its clear spirit cousins such as Gin and Tequila. Its neutral nature has been viewed almost with contempt, so it became, in effect, the reality TV star of the spirit world; extremely popular but not seen as having much substance.
Especially in a time where bartenders where trying to bring as much flavour as possible into the drinks they created, Vodka was seen as a spirit that was simply not bringing anything to the glass.
After all, it didn’t have the terroir of Tequila, the herbaceousness of Gin or the history of Rum. And it’s legal definition didn’t do much to help that impression either, as by law Vodka is a spirit should neither possess character, aroma, taste or colour.
But slowly, as a newfound simplicity as crept back into cocktails, so too has Vodka started to be seen on cocktail menus across the globe. Old favourites like the Moscow Mule and the Espresso Martini can again be found in the hands of drinkers.
Bartenders are looking to be more creative with Vodka and are showing that the very neutrality that has damned the spirit has actually turned around to become it’s saving grace.
Due to it’s clear, clean profile, Vodka allows whatever you mix it with to take over the drink’s flavour. Experimenting with tinctures, scrubs and even infusions become a lot more clear-cut.
And let’s face it, especially at a home bar, Vodka is easy to like, easy to mix and definitely easy to drink.
But the change in attitude hasn’t just happened at the bar. Vodka brands themselves have been working hard to elevate the spirit and show that it can be more than simply its legal definition.
With the days of mad-capped Vodka flavours behind us, producers are working to restore Vodka’s reputation and capitalise on that fact that Vodka can indeed have the nuance and terroir of its clear liquor cousins.
Despite what we’ve all come to believe, distilled Vodka can actually have varying character and anyone who’s tasted a few brands side by side will know that they can be markedly different in a quiet way.
Working with copper pot stills, single-estate grains, purer water and unique filtration regimens, producers are slowing turning the fate of Vodka around. Rather than simply relying on giant suppliers of commodity grains, distillers are looking to reflect regional taste and character in what they produce.
The much gentler pot stills are allowing flavours (both from the grains and any infusions) to be given new clarity, focus and structure.
The Belvedere brand is leading the way with the recently released two terroir-driven vodkas: One, using Rye from northeast Poland, which is crisp and clean, with a minty bite; the other, using Rye from a forested region near the German border, which has a sweet and savoury edge.
The transparency of the spirit itself is now starting to be reflected in the way that distillers are not only marketing Vodka but also producing it. Gone are the years of thoughtless massÂ-made spirit that took its popularity for granted. Increasingly, brands are seeking to imbue the spirit with unique and flavourful qualities, with a heightened emphasis on production methods and raw materials.
Vodka is yet again coming into its own. The spirit is giving cocktail creators an opportunity to demonstrate their skill, but more importantly, it is giving a new generation of drinkers a chance to be exposed to, and perhaps surprised by, how much variation Vodka can really bring to the glass.
