A quintessential item for my summer, a refresher during my spring, a bracing backbone to a fall, and a warming hint of home in the winter, vodka is truly an evergreen spirit. Skilled in the subtle, master of commingling, and sometimes tarted up with a flavor infusion, vodka is one of the most pure and innocent spirits but is perfectly adaptable to almost any occasion. With a slight flavor profile and crisp finish, I encourage all of you to give vodka the attention it deserves. Much like its more spicy cousin tequila, vodka is often lambasted and abused through a lens of poor college-age decisions. However, this gives the entire branch of spirits a bad rap. If we don’t let Jack Daniels ruin whisky for us (more on that later, don’t worry), then we shouldn’t let vodka named after some unpronounceable Russian author deter us from enjoying the more mature and invigorating options surrounding us. What follows is a brief outline of all the exciting and, believe it or not, different flavors and forms even a straight vodka can take. Truly a flavor based in nuance, vodkas primarily have an impact based on their base grain, how many times they’ve been distilled, and how they were produced. Vodka is fascinating in that it can be distilled from any organic material (there’s one made of oysters!) and takes its flavor from the ingredients while not having an aging process like brown liquors. Vodka can also be produced anywhere in the world, which gives it a much more international vibe. With even a little practice, you’ll be able to confidently pick out any of the major vodkas from a blind lineup. The primary focus of this article is to highlight what I think is both good for the flavor and good for the price. As always, I aim to highlight spirits that are find-able at almost any liquor store and affordable for, hopefully all. Vodka, unfortunately more so than almost any other type of spirit, is ranked in the popular imagination based on the success of their various ad agencies. Think, after all, of how many other spirits run such incessant ad campaigns as Grey Goose, Kettle One, etc. So, buckle up, and get your cocktail shaker ready. It’s time to explore some vodka.
