Russia's number one drink, vodka. It is so popular that the average Russian drinks up to 68 bottles per year.
The following list includes vodkas made from different raw materials and from different countries, all of Premium quality and with an alcohol content of 40%.
You will enjoy any of them cold and pure in the traditional way, or to make a black Russian, a vodka Martini, a screwdriver or any other cocktail of your choice.
1. Zyr, Russian
Russian vodka made from winter wheat and rye harvested from plantations near the manufacturing plant, with pure water from the Russian-Finnish border that passes through 5 filtrations before coming into contact with the distillate.
The quality of this vodka smooth on the palate and excellent to drink both pure and mixed, is guaranteed. It is subjected to 9 filtrations, 5 distillations and 3 tastings, before being bottled.
The mixture of the water with the distillate is filtered another 4 times, which results in a vodka free of impurities.
During the elaboration the water, the distillate and the mixture are tasted. Its aroma is of clean and freshly harvested grains, with earthy flavor nuances and cereals.
Zyr Premium is great for the smoothest Martini vodkas and upgrades any cocktail.
2. Chase, English
Fine British potato vodka leading the UK Premium market. The potato fields and the distillery are in the county of Herefordshire.
Each bottle of this brand contains the equivalent of 250 flawless potatoes, with a freshness that guarantees the best quality in the drink.
The people of Chase grow 3 types of potatoes on the county's fertile lands to make their distillates: King Edward, Lady Rosetta, and Lady Claire.
Everyone in the company knows that if the owner is not in the plantation supervising the care and harvest of the potatoes, he is in the distillery supervising the production process. Such is your commitment.
The vodka is made in a copper pot which guarantees a pure finish. It is a creamy and very smooth distillate, perfect for preparing the best vodka Martini.
When drinking it, a faint aroma of freshly cut potatoes remains and is felt with a soft density on the palate. Its finish is clean and silky, with hints of earthy minerals.
Chase plants the apples that he flavors one of his labels, including another rhubarb-flavored vodka. His distillery also makes gin and fruit liqueurs with blackcurrant, raspberry, and elderflower.
This British brand was voted the best vodka in the world in 2010 at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco, USA.
3. Christiania, Norwegian
Refined Norwegian drink based on potatoes from the Trondelag province, subjected to 6 distillation cycles before filtering and aerating with charcoal.
Christiania Vodka carries pure water from the Norwegian Arctic region and has a crystal clear appearance without sediment, leaving a deep and slightly sweet first impression.
The first sensation on the palate is a creamy and slightly sugary taste, which causes an energetic tingling on the tongue. It ends up being warm when drinking.
Its smoothness and excellent body improve thickness and add a moderate sweetness to cocktails, making a Martini a unique experience. If you like, sip it.
Christiania is the vodka for everyone, but especially for men and women with allergies to cereals.
4. Snow Queen, Kazakh
Although the best known Soviet distillates were the Russians, the Kazakhs have been producing vodka long before the country joined the USSR.
The production of vodkas in the country is based on the clean waters that come from the Himalayas and its rich wheat.
The Snow Queen recipe is an old Kazakh secret formula relaunched in France to produce vodka of optimum purity and quality. It is produced by fermenting organic wheat from the European Union and snow-capped waters.
The brand's vodka surpasses 5 distillations that turn it from raw to a luxurious drink. It goes very well alone and in cocktails.
Leaves hints of star anise and mild spices on the nose. In the mouth, the same sensations together with those of the cereal. Its finish is mineral.
Snow Queen vodka has been awarded many times in industry quality competitions, including the Double Gold award given by the prestigious Wine and Spirits event in San Francisco, California.
5. Reyka, Icelandic
Iceland is privileged to have one of the purest waters on the planet in its uncontaminated glaciers, which serves as the basis for producing this fantastic grain vodka.
Their distillery in Borgarnes, on the island's west coast, is the only one in the far northwestern European country, ensuring that Reyka is the only authentically Icelandic vodka.
The distillate is the result of a mixture of barley and a little wheat. The energy is supplied by one of the many geothermal sources in the volcanic country, so the manufacturing process is completely natural, which makes the brand the only 100% organic vodka in the world.
The alcohol is processed into a stately 3,000 liter custom made copper Carter-Head, the only one of 6 in the world used for vodka.
Distillate is filtered through lava rocks and arctic spring water completes a vodka of incomparable smoothness and remarkably clean.
The liquid passes through 2 layers of porous volcanic rocks. The first to do an initial filtering and the second to remove any remaining imperfections. The stones are changed every 50 distillations.
6. Winter Palace, French
French winter wheat vodka whose fineness is the product of the quality of the grain and the 6 distillations to which it is subjected.
The pure water for its production comes from the French commune, Cognac, and its name, Winter Palace (Winter Palace), recalls the Russian era of the tsars.
The Winter Palace was built in the 18th century in Saint Petersburg, Russia, during the time of Elizabeth I, daughter of Peter the Great, as a symbol of the global Frenchification imposed by the French monarchy. According to tradition, the tsarina and later tsars brought the national drink with them from France.
Winter Palace is smooth, slightly sweet, lush and silky. It leaves hints of vanilla at first with a subtle cocoa and cinnamon finish.
It is a drink that you will enjoy both cold and pure, as in cocktails, even those who do not regularly drink vodka.
7. Crystal Head, Canadian
Fantastic vodka and better yet its funky skull style bottle, trademarked design and eye-catching adornment in any bar.
Its distillate is produced in Newfoundland from cream of corn and peaches.
The 4-stage distillation product is mixed with the clean island waters to generate an extraordinarily smooth vodka.
The Crystal Head undergoes 7 filtration steps, 3 of them through a bed of Herkimer diamonds. These are not really gemstones but semi-precious quartz crystals.
The creator of the revolutionary bottle was the American artist, John Alexander, who was inspired by the legend of the "13 crystal skulls" to design the bottle.
Each bottle is made to the standards of Casa Bruni Glass, in Milan, Italy. Its content has been awarded in San Francisco, Moscow and Australia, competing with more than 400 spirits.
To respond to the strong demand, Crystal Head manufactures and packages bottles in sizes of 50, 700 and 750 milliliters and in 1.75 and 3 liters. Vodka is only sold through company-registered retail stores.
Learn more about the brand here.
8. 42 Below, New Zealander
New Zealanders distill this great vodka made from organic wheat and pure spring water. That it is so smooth is the result of 3 distillation processes and 35 filtrations.
The still produces vodkas in some fun and delicious flavors, like passion fruit, kiwi, manuka honey, and guava.
The 42 of the mark is the degrees of latitude south below the equator of your distillery. The distillate has a clean crystallinity and a semi-oily texture, leaving a smooth and long-lasting creamy flavor.
9. Ciroc, French
The grape can also make an excellent vodka and it should not be surprising that this brand is from France, the number one country in making drinks with the fruit, in this case, Mauzac and Trebbiano.
The drink produced by the Chevanceaux Distillery, in the Poitou-Charentes region, goes through 5 distillation trips, the last one in custom copper pots.
This Premium vodka includes labels flavored with amaretto, pineapple, coconut, peach, mango, apple, vanilla and red berries, which make great mixes in cocktails.
The limited-edition Summer Colada label is a delicious tropical vodka combination with pineapple and coconut that will have you longing for the warm days of summer.
The distillery has been producing wines for more than a century, an experience that has been vital to making clean, smooth, fresh and fruity vodkas.
Why is vodka the most versatile distillate?
Vodka is made from cereals, tubers and fruits, with wheat, rye and potatoes being its main ingredients.
The purity of a bottle will depend on the quality of its raw material and its fermentation and distillation. Aging, which is a fundamental variable in the quality of beverages such as whiskey and wine, is not necessary in this.
Although most of the vodka sold in the world has a volumetric alcohol content of 40%, the graduation range is usually 37% to 50%.
It is believed that the chemist, Dmitri Mendeleev, creator of the periodic table of the elements, was the one who established that standard of 40%, considering it the most convenient for health.
Despite this, and according to the Vodka Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, the figure suggested by the chemist was 38%, rounded to 40% to facilitate the calculation of taxes.
Its market is rich in prices. From bottles whose contents are of excellent raw material and careful care in the fermentation and distillation processes, to beverages with very striking bottles but poor in quality.
To drink vodka
Vodka is among the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world, something natural due to its exquisite taste and texture.
Russia, France, Canada, England, Kazakhstan, Iceland and New Zealand, give us their best brands to try in each of the parties of the year. Will you stay without knowing them?
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