Shaken, and Not Stirred — But What About the Clathrates? [differences in vodkas explored]

University of Cincinnati ^ | 6/14/2010 | Dale W. Schaefer

[Pharmboy]

Hmmm...I will try that. I usually use a 4:1.

[lovecraft]

Haven’t bought anything else since.

Yup and even your most discriminating Vodka drinker should be pleased. Even Tito's uses the same ethanol that every other Vodka starts with. The only differences is how you choose to filter and cut it with water and the type of filtration and water used (spring, tap, etc.).

Modern Vodka truly is just a marketing game nowadays.

[aculeus]

(Sigh) I never “got” martinis even though I lived through their heyday.

[dblshot]

I’ve been bruised by gin myself. I prefer vodka to gin because there can be a lot of botanicals in gin. Juniper berries were introduced to cover up the bad taste of gin but it doesn’t help much. A Tanquery once in while isn’t too bad but cheap gin-no way!

[lovecraft]

All Vodka is the same, the differences only come in the filtration, water, and marketing. And primarily it's the marketing. Now I don't prefer the real CHEAP stuff as it is not filtered enough to remove the impurities and to smooth out the taste. Monarch and Popov can do a number on your stomach, at least it has on mine. :)

But I wouldn't spend over $15 or $20 bucks on a large bottle either. All your paying for there is a high end marketing program. Try the Svedka...trust me.

[codercpc]

I love cocktails with vodka! But, having said that, I can no longer drink cheap bar rail vodka. A few years ago I noticed that sometimes after drinking just one vodka drink, I would get horrendous, brain crushing headaches. For me this was unusual, because except for the occasional sinus headaches I NEVER get them.

A friend of mine told me they had heard that cheap vodka sometimes contains impurities that give people headaches, and that I should try a premium brand. I thought it was silly, but to tell the truth, except for a casino in Las Vegas that obviously didn't give me the brand I asked for (complimentary of course), I have never had another vodka headache.

[hoagy62]

Since I live in Washington State, THEY sell all the hard liquor. I don’t recall ever seeing Svedka on sale there, but I’ll look next time.

[lovecraft]

It’s Swedish, and has gotten pretty popular, so you shouldn’t have trouble.

[Daffynition]

The United Colors of Vodka

A new fashion spreads across some Russian vodka consumers - why drink dull colorless vodka if you can drink colorful liquid made of some “Skittles” sweets and the fire-water.

[Elle Bee]

During my years of ‘research’, I determined that the cheapsest vodka worked just as well as the most expensive in every way, including taste-wise...Sure would like to get reimbursed for all those experiment expenses...

try Stolichnaya Gold and get back to me on that opinion

.

[neverdem]

Thanks Pharmboy

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[Pharmboy]

That’s a pretty good idea...running the cheaper spirits through a Brita. Must try that some time.

[wbill]

Remember that I was a starving college student, and back then, I would drink it, if it didn't kill me first. Now that I'm older, wiser, and only drink a bottle or two a year.....I don't bother with the cheap stuff. (...thinking of "Georgia Moon" and shuddering...)

I've not tried "filtering" since my younger and more foolish days. Lemme know how it goes. :-)

[wbill]

Mine is more properly called a “Montgomery,” with a 15:1 ratio.

You and my Grandfather would have gotten along just fine. He taught me how to make a properly DRY Martini....

Pour a generous tumbler of Gin. Garnish with an olive, or a twist of lemon, depending on your mood. Then, take a bottle of Vermouth and set it on a shelf. Look at the bottle of Vermouth, while drinking the Gin.

THAT'S a dry martini. :-)

[Pharmboy]

I hate to sound like a professor here, but the "dry" in martini, although it has come to symbolize a minimum of vermouth, does not mean that at all. In the early days, martinis were made with dry and sweet vermouth, and the dry signified an absence of sweet in what you ordered.

Personally, I like what a bit of dry vermouth does to the gin, and that is after all, a martini. Otherwise, it's iced gin, and if you like that, no problem, but it ain't a martini.

And just for completeness sake, some classicists insist that without a dash of orange bitters it's not a real martini.