What to say about vodka? I know this topic will come up about every year and a half. In an editorial meeting, it will strike the editor or publisher that vodka hasn't been touched on lately. I will try to deflect the subject or change the conversation to my latest spirit obsession. My latest spirit obsession is rarely vodka. And I guess this is the dichotomy of vodka. It is the most popular distilled alcohol in United States, out selling all whiskeys combined, for instance, but gets little to no "street cred" with the latest generation of bartenders and mixologists.
The new cocktailians, this generation of mixologists that are fiercely studying and resurrecting the cocktail, seem to have little use for a product that wasn't even around in the cocktail's golden age, the roughly two decades before Prohibition. Gin, rye, bourbon, and cognac were the "palate" of colors that bartenders painted with, and in imitating Old Masters, the new students are creating their personal styles with the original color wheel.
A Bit of History
It might require a bit of history lesson to explain the schism. Vodka wasn't imported into the U.S., in any great quantity, until after World War II and did not really catch on until the '50s. In the '60s, vodka got a little help from Ian Fleming's 007, aka James Bond, the globe-trotting, Cold War bon vivant spy. By the 1970's vodka had surpassed bourbon, America's native spirit, and closest competition at the time. And it meteoric rise hasn't slowed down, with a new brand appearing on the market regularly.
Two Madison Avenue type marketing schemes were partly responsible for vodka's success. The first involves vodka's original classic drink, the Moscow Mule. Invented in 1941, by two distributors to sell two struggling products; Smirnoff vodka and Cock'n Bull ginger beer. Add lime and a fancy engraved copper mug and Smirnoff's distribution triples by 1951 and vodka starts to become the mixer of choice over gin. |
A modern use for vodka: the Caipiroska, as served at One Flew South in Atlanta.
PHOTO: GARNISH PHOTOGRAPHY/GREEN OLIVE MEDIA
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The next marketing campaign did not emphasize what vodka was, but rather what it was not. Smirnoff's famous tag line, "It leaves you breathless," appealed to drinking cultures sense of decorum, something equivalent to sophistication through hygeine. And it seems to be the whiskey market that they were going after. One Southern distributor went so far as to market vodka as, "white whiskey - no taste, no smell." And if you think marketing isnt a factor in vodka sales today, tell me why Ed Hardy and Roberto Cavalli have vodkas on the market.
Furthermore, part of the popularity, from the producers point of view, is vodka's ease of manufacturing. With a continuous column still and no barrel maturation, vodka can be on store shelves with a quick turnaround of cash. Compare that to bourbon which sits in the barrel an average of six to eight years after the initial investment and you can see the suppliers appeal. Even if you want to make whiskey, sell some vodka, in the meantime, to recoup some capital investment. Hence, the regularity at which new brands pop up on the liquor store shelf.
Silent Partner
If all of this has painted a pessimistic view of our "odorless, tasteless" friend, never fear, we are coming up on the redeeming section of the article. What cocktail purists may perceive as blandness, is actually vodka's strength. In the flavor color wheel I mentioned earlier, think of vodka as white, a neutral that emphasizes rather than stands out. A Bloody Mary does not need the additional flavors of gin or tequila. If made well, there is enough flavor happening already. In fact, the vodka sometimes works best as a silent partner. In the Bloody Mary, thinning a thick, rich tomato base to drinkability and adding the requisite alcoholic kick.
The Ruby Slipper, as served at One Flew South in Atlanta.
PHOTO: GARNISH PHOTOGRAPHY/GREEN OLIVE MEDIA |
As a mixer, that white palate aspect works well when the you want to emphasize other full flavors. My own drink, the Ruby Slipper, a favorite on the One Flew South menu, started as an idea for combining savory herbs and fruits. One of my favorite combinations is rosemary and grapefruit. Adding a nice organic vodka, like Kentucky's own Rain, adds the needed backbone for the cocktail without interfering with the surprising and delightful herb and fruit pairing.
Ruby Slipper
1 1/2 oz vodka
3 oz ruby red grapefruit juice
1 oz rosemary simple syrup
3 oz club soda
fresh rosemary sprig for garnish
Combine vodka, rosemary syrup, and juice with ice and shake vigorously. strain into a collins filled with fresh ice. top with soda and stir. garnish with long sprig of rosemary.
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Sometimes vodka works as a pinch hitter. Take for instance, the Caipiroska, a vodka version of the Caipirinha, Brazil's national cocktail. The cachaca, a sugar cane distillate not unlike rum, that is muddled and shaken with lime and sugar is fairly neutral in flavor. In steps vodka (and maybe just a tiny bit more sugar) and it might take a Brazilian to know the difference.
Sippin' It Straight
If, on the other hand, you like the flavor of vodka (and don't lie for my sake, I know you're out there), do like like the Russians or the Polish and sip it straight and ice cold, preferably with some salty and tasty treat, like pickled beets. I will give you some choices along the flavor spectrum. For the traditionalist, try Hammer & Sickle, a true Russian export, complete with Red Dawn era packaging. Clean and smooth are the only two adjectives needed. For patriotism, try Hangar One from Alameda, CA. Combining vodkas from both pot-distilled viognier grapes and column-distilled wheat, Hangar One has a floral and citrus characteristics with a weighty middle. Lastly, Karlsson's, from Sweden, is the most full-flavored vodka I've tried. With hints of herbs, cocoa and hazelnuts, this vodka demands your attention. Serve it well chilled and neat.
So, is vodka a lot of hype and fancy packaging? Sure. Is it also starting to be taken seriously by artisan producers and cutting edge mixologists? Absolutely. In the words of Indiana Jones' Grail Knight, "Choose wisely." Cheers!
Jerry Slater is Beverage Director at
One Flew South
, the unique restaurant at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where his cocktail program, dubbed “Salute to Aeromarine,” pays homage to the four years starting in 1920 that Aeromarine Airways carried wealthy passengers from Miami to Nassau and Havana aboard flying boats (‘Floatplanes’) so that the guests could drink legally during the Prohibition era.
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