na zdorovia

i recently went for a cocktail session by Belvedere at china one which opened my eyes to the world of vodka, and one of the first questions that popped up was where the true origin of vodka lay.

ask a polish where vodka originates from, and they'll tell you poland; ask a russian where vodka originates from and they'll tell you russia and add in that poland used to be part of russia.

i'm just going to leave it up to you to decide.

vodka is a clear distilled spirit, and commonly made from grain such as wheat or rye, potatoes; i guess technically you could also make vodka from bread. it's popularity i believe lies in its versatile and relatively neutral taste which allows it to be manipulated in many cocktails. take Smirnoff for example, a fabulous housepour, good with anything from diet coke to freshly squeezed juices; but i would not drink it straight, chilled or otherwise.

the debate on the birthplace of the largest distilled spirit category is never ending, though it can be largely agreed that the warmth running through the body from the burn of vodka was largely used as protection against the cold throughout poland, russia and the scandinavia; a liquid antidote for the harsh, squalid environment of the chilly northern and eastern europe.

[perhaps a reason why vodka is so widely available is because it is a relatively fuss-free alcohol to make and most importantly does not require aging; the scroungiest of us all can easily produce vodka in their own basement. producing vodka involves a basic process of fermentation, distillation, filtration, dilution and finally bottling; the processes of all the above do tend to get very technical to the untrained distiller and perhaps drinker, and justifiably deserves another post on its own.]

if you ask me, i personally prefer my vodka (and alcohol in general) mixed with juices or other liqueurs (i'm a real lightweight), but here's one that blew my mind away with its simplicity yet complicity both in taste and presentation from Bartistry mixologist, Zac.

Ultimat Chocolate Martini

40 ml Ultimat Chocolate Vanilla Vodka
Ice

1. Chill martini glass.
2. Fill tall glass with cubed ice.
3. Pour vodka into the tall glass filled with ice.
4. Using stirrer, stir the mixture till water level rises to half the tall glass.
5. Pour the diluted vodka into your chilled martini glass.
6. Serve with a stick of cinnamon.

the Ultimat brand is one of the more premium brands of vodka available in the singaporean market, a unique point about it is that while most vodkas are made from wheat, rye, potato, corn etc, Ultimat is one of the few made from potato, wheat, and rye. the chocolate martini blend of Ultimat vodka gives off a very strong chocolate scent that can be detected from behind the bar; which perhaps would put off the vodka purists.

if you're one who likes to drink vodka neat, from what i've heard, an excellent brand you should go for is Jean Marc XO (this is from the same house as XO cognac), a 9 times distilled, multi wheat vodka, which goes smooth and rich down your throat; a surprisingly delightful trickle of floral notes and spices.

speaking of Jean Marc XO and Ultimat, i come to the issue of premium and non-premium vodkas, many people would argue that vodkas are meant to be predominantly tasteless and neutral which accounts for the fact that it is such a dominant mixer spirit in bars, and therein lies the contradiction of different tastes in vodka or the reluctance to shell out money for a better vodka brand when the difference in taste is technically indistinguishable. to that, i'd have to say nay; there can be a difference in tastes of vodkas first based on the ingredients used for fermentation, for example, wheat-based vodkas is said to give a more spicy taste, while rye-based vodkas would give you a spirit that is more peppery etc. furthermore, high-end vodkas are generally easier on the palette (i.e. you don't fight for oxygen with the fire down your throat that follows after a shot), presents more tasting notes and is better drunk neat, while housepour vodkas such as Absolute and Smirnoff are better used in mixers that would disguise their harsh flavours; if at home you are using your vodkas mainly for mixers there is no sense in splashing your cash on a premium vodka, you're better off spending that money on expensive glassware.

at the end of the day, it doesn't matter where vodka is from, it's here to stay, in chilled shot glasses and fancy liquid concoctions; seated comfortably at the top of the alcohol chain, a long way away from its once less-than-glamorous beginnings.

If you'd like to find out more, please check out Shrine to Spirits, The Spirit World or Chowhound.com's disscusion thread on vodka.