Till 2020, vodka was legally outlined within the U.S. by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Commerce Bureau (TTB) as a “impartial spirit so distilled, or so handled after distillation with charcoal or different supplies, as to be with out distinctive character, aroma, style, or colour.” The definition was, admittedly, a bit harsh, however however mirrored the bar world’s stance on the spirit for the higher a part of the previous decade.
However after years of being excluded from prime backbars across the globe for its supposed bland nature, vodka has change into a spirit worthy of consideration, thanks partly to the wealth of craft producers showcasing the characterful nuances of the class. (The TTB subsequently modified its definition to acknowledge that vodka is not characterised by an absence of character.) By a renewed concentrate on vodka’s uncooked supplies and modern filtering strategies, in addition to proofing with expertly sourced pure waters, the world of vodka has flourished.
“These days, there’s a nice number of each small and massive manufacturers that distill vodka with ardour and precision,” says Markus Bosel, assistant bar supervisor at Fallow in London. “From barley, rye, to grapes and wheat, there may be an infinity of style profiles attainable.” As Denis Broci, bar supervisor at a number of venues inside Claridge’s in London, explains, “It’s a fortifying base upon which you’ll be able to construct a singular taste profile, and on the identical time, is without doubt one of the components that we sometimes all have at house.”
Bosel provides that he enjoys the elegant creaminess and physique of wheat-based vodkas, which make for the proper Espresso Martini, and {that a} drier vodka produced from barley provides a pleasant clear edge in a Martini. Grape-based vodkas, which are typically extra floral, shine in highballs and sours, whereas different grain-based vodkas are versatile and might simply function in a spread of drinks.
“For me, vodka is an underrated and underappreciated spirit,” says Nate Brown, proprietor of So Cap, a hospitality group in London that features the highball-focused cocktail bar Soda and Mates. “There aren’t many spirits the place the talent of the distiller and high quality of the components are laid naked in fairly the way in which vodka’s are.”
Brown additionally notes that worth isn’t all the time an indicator of high quality. When selecting the best-value vodka for mixing, understanding the uncooked materials the spirit is produced from, the manufacturing strategies and the provenance of the water used to dilute the distillate will assist in the search to seek out the correct vodka on your subsequent cocktail. Right here, as a place to begin, bartenders supply their go-to bottles for mixing.
