from the may edition of gourmet magazine (based on the beverage testing institute of chicago's blind taste test on more than 40 vodkas)....the top 5 vodkas were: 1. grey goose vodka.....score 96 2. canadian iceberg vodka.....score 94 3. stolichnaya gold vodka.....score 93 4. staraya moskva premium....score 92 5. van hoo vodka.....score 91 tie stolichnaya vodka....score 91 other major names: finlandia was # 12 with a score of 86 skyy was # 14 with a score of 85 absolut was #21 with a score of 80 smirnoff was # 27 witha score of 74 something to think about when making your next screwdriver or bloody mary.
Vodka is vodka. I'm not a big vodka drinker but I keep a bottle around the house for making bloody marys and white russians. I can't see paying for an expensive bottle of vodka when you don't really taste the booze anyway. I might spend $50 or more dollars for a bottle of old scotch but I can't see spending more than $10 or $12 for a fifth of vodka.
I would agree with you for the most common mixed drinks made with Vodka, like screwdriver, bloody mary, salty dogs, etc. But when it comes to Martinis you can definitely taste the difference and, more importantly, you'll thank yourself the next morning. Stoli and Skyy offer prolly the best taste-to-cost value ratios IMO, but I like a good Grey Goose or Belvedere once in awhile. Each year, for my wife's birthday, I make up a couple of batches of Jolly Rancher Martini's for guests to celebrate with. They are easy to make and are particularly well liked by the ladies (wink-wink)! Here's the recipe that I got from Ybor's Martini Bar on Church Street : 1 750ml bottle of quality Vodka 10-15 pieces of your favorite Jolly Rancher candies ( I recommend Green Sour Apple or Watermellon. Do not mix different flavors though) At room temperature, unwrap the pieces of candies and insert into the bottle of Vodka, then seal with cap. (You may need to remove a protected pour cap in order to add candies) I usually start out with 10 candies per bottle, you can add more later to your preferred taste. Any more than 12 and the drink begins to become more sweet than sour. (For some reason, drinks with too much sugar tend to leave one with a mild hangover). Invert the bottle periodically to encourage infusion of the candies until they have fully dissolved into the vodka. This make take 2-3 hours or longer. Once fully dissolved, place entire bottle into the freezer until fully chilled. Serve in chilled martini glasses or shot glasses and let the party begin. This is great for parties since it can be prepared ahead of time and very little cleanup. I guarantee you'll be asked for the recipe.
I agree with Cadillacattack that for just your common drink, just your regular vodka is ok. But for martinis or vodka tonics, you can taste the difference. My favorite is grey goose kept in the freezer. That is one smooth vodka.
Yep, the analogy I've used is that it's like the difference between a blended scotch whiskey and a single-malt scotch. A definite difference, especially when consumed neet, chilled, or on the rocks.
you have hit home on that. i love single malts with a splash of water...smooooth. and i even use single malts to make rusty nails with (my buds ask me how i could ruin a good single malt with drambuie, but you know what....it tastes good).
Yep, I prefer Glenlivit 15 as a good sippin' single-malt, and Oban is really good but I can't afford to drink that except on special occasions. I'm planning a golf trip to Scotland in '05 and I can't wait to sample the local single barrel stuff while I'm there. Any suggestions are welcome ......
tomaltin (sp?) is supposed to be the most popular one and it is good. but really you can't go wrong. they take alot of pride in their malts. by the way....did you know that scotland has the highest per capita stroke rate in the world? once you eat some of those yummy fatty sauces and undrained fried breads (like i did in glasgow) you'll know why....
