Each batch is made with potatoes sourced from within 18 miles of the Krzesk distillery, then distilled four times through a copper column still and bottled at a neat 40 percent. Wheatley Vodka is distilled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery under supervision by master distiller, Harlen Wheatley and his team. By vodka 5, however, my lips, tongue and back of the throat are tingling. Vodka Wars: Poland vs. Russia. It’s become the go-to vodka for Roldan at The Mermaid in LA. ", "Creamy and velvety with a hint of vanilla, designed for sipping in a martini or on the rocks. The award-winning artisanal vodkas are made with soft winter wheat and mountain spring water from California. Official Discord (still being developed): https://discord.gg/78h8KAe Vodkas are versatile. Vodka is a chemical product consisting of C2H5OH, ethyl alcohol, and water. Well, at least one newcomer to the U.S. spirits scene is going to try to topple Russian dominance of vodka in America. Sobieski is a vodka named after Polish the fearless king Jan III Sobieski. Apparently, he was big and scary. ‹ Report from the 10th Annual Chocolate Show, Fake Wines: Do You Really Know What You're Drinking Tonight? It was made in the Poltava Distillery, 3 Zin'kivs'ka St. The actual imported-vodka market in the U.S. is dominated by Scandinavians (the Swedes' absolutely mediocre Absolut). Park. The spicy notes of rye shine through in each sip, as do hints of minerality, but skip sipping Wodka neat: if the low price is any indication, this vodka is best sipped in cocktails. Drinking Polish Potato vodka whilst reading about the struggles Poland (and others) had to endure while being subjugated to the USSR/Russia following WW2 makes the reader’s spirit feel a … The category is diverse: Vodka can be light and bright, or hearty and earthy. "Free of sugar and artificial flavors and made with 100 percent GMO-free grains. By vodka 8, they're all quite numb. And in the west, vodka is usually enjoyed with a mixture or two. That’s right. I find it to go down smoothest of the three, and it gets almost syrupy when chilled. But you can find some good quality potato vodkas that are not terribly expensive. The brand itself is marketed in the super-premium vodka segment (prices above $30 per bottle). The spicy notes of rye shine through in each sip, as do hints of minerality, but skip sipping Wodka neat: if the low price is any indication, this vodka is best sipped in cocktails. I used to cringe every time I heard that phrase. The first official, written Polish reference to vodka may have been in 1405, and it was used medicinally and as an aphrodisiac. An unaged spirit distilled and filtered repeatedly to achieve smoothness and clarity, vodka has had a reputation for blandness. It’s a Polish vodka with a high-quality taste that holds up well in cocktails.”. Stolichnaya Vodka. This Latvian vodka is a great choice of vodka for both flavour and price. Sobieski is a Polish vodka made from Dankowski rye. Probably one of the most famous Russian Vodkas is Russian Standard, one of Russian’s most proud inventions. What comes out of the still is an earthy, savory vodka with a warm hug of a finish. More in comments. ›, Dress Up These Pigs in a Blanket for the Big Game (You'll Hardly Recognize Them), The Crunchy, Salty Snack Every Super Bowl Party Needs, The Other Thing To Do With Bacon (Besides Eat It), The Juicy, Meaty Cut of Chicken You Forgot About, How To Turn an Overstocked Pantry Into an Addictive Meal, We Buy These 7 Fruits and Vegetables Already Prepped, and Feel No Shame About It, These Cookies Can All Be Made In Less Than An Hour, Better Hot Chocolate Is Just A Snow Day Away, The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Using Sugar. Who knows their Vodka. Roldan's favorite local brand, Loft & Bear, was founded in 2013 by Paul Ryan Elliott, one of the youngest master distillers in the country and one of the few of color. The emission-free Icelandic distillery channels that same volcanic energy to power the distilling operations with geothermal energy. My pals cursed under their breaths every time they saw how Americans automatically equated vodka with Russia and vice versa. While the origins of vodka are debated, some link its initial production to 9th century Russia, while others trace vodka’s beginnings to 8th century Poland. Vodka (Polish: wódka [ˈvutka], Russian: водка [ˈvotkə]) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage that originates from Poland and Russia. I may be completely misinformed, but as far as I know, modern Russian (and post-Soviet\CIS) vodka has NOTHING to do with what is described in this article (and is lovingly promoted by the marketing of vodka … While many flavored vodkas on the market are packed with sugary flavors, the purified lemon extracts from the fragrant citron combined with jasmine, basil, and apricots that will make you rethink flavored vodkas forever. There is so much more Poland has to offer, and yet somehow most of it goes unnoticed… History. Shop Zyr. But the most probably Vodka was invented on the territory of modern Poland. I named off a few favorites and told her that this one was actually for an infusion. But which Russian vodka is the tastiest…and which is the best one for you to bring to a friend’s party? ", "As smooth as the music of the composer it’s named after, the potato-based vodka is even delicious sipped at room temperature. Ketel One Botanical Cucumber and Mint For those who want a subtle additional flavour will go head … Poland - Russia - Duration: 10:29. Zubrowka, Poland's famous bison-grass vodka, was distilled in the 1500s (and, according to the company, Polish noblemen were infusing their vodkas with bison grass in the 1200s). You can get bottles between €14 … Smirnoff Vodka $16. Personally, it's my favorite and my go-to choice when I'm in the US. Do you care where your spirits come from? Polish Life. “The best are clean with subtle flavors that enhance classic cocktails, like martinis, cosmopolitans, and bloody Marys.”. The below bottles are the best-in-show, ranging from old-school Russian sips to American vodkas made from interesting ingredients. I supposed it's a magnified version how of how Reaganites felt when foreigners said the best baseball players in the world were in Cuba. “I have been drinking Ketel One Vodka since I was legal to drink,” says Fanny Chu, head bartender at Donna’s in Brooklyn. Serve it cold, or try one of the brand’s flavored options, like the refreshing cucumber mint or aromatic peach and orange blossom. Sobieski is a Polish vodka made from Dankowski rye. Polish Vodka – a National Treasure? It has a bit more bite to it than Luksusowa, but with a more neutral flavor. Russia. It's made with 100 percent, non-GMO Polska rye and Polish water sources. Pokhlyobkin desperately tried to prove). Russian Standard is the entry-level vodka in this portfolio. Newcomer Sobieski Vodka, named after the Poland's greatest king (and Lithuania's grand duke), has launched in the U.S. this fall, playing up the "From the Birthplace of Vodka" angle to the hilt--hopefully provoking an interesting debate on the true origins of America's favorite liquor, something that the Polish vodkas already out there--Belvedere and the excellent potato vodka Chopin--either haven't been able to do or have avoided. Kate Dingwall is a freelance writer whose work focuses on food, drinks, and travel. No big marketing push here; just a fairly priced spirit. One of the best flavors of the bunch is Buddha’s Hand, a quirky cousin of the lemon. Legend places the origins of vodka production — conveniently, we might add — in the Chudov Monastery in the Kremlin in Moscow, the very heart of Russian power. This Polish-made vodka is made with local rye, then distilled five times and charcoal-filtered twice for smoothness.