Vodka

[MK]

I am curious about vodka. It has no flavor.....so why is some vodka so much more expensive? The French charge high prices for Grey Goose....but the French are crazy to start with.

Schmernoff (i have to misspell once in a while or the nim-rods would have no life) is half the price of Absolute. Why?

[Sergei]

As anything else it boils down to always two things:
- quality of materials
- manufacturing process

The quality in materials is mainly the water used for vodka. The other prime ingredients for high-end vodka would be potatoe, wheat or soy. The cheap stuff is corn, milo or other cheap sources of starch. The manufacturing process includes how many distillations and how many filtrations. The higher the number for distillation (# of columns) and filtrations provides the smoothness and character of the vodka. The challenge is to keep the good tasting parts and filtering out the nasty impurities. It's the impurites that cause harshness and that "bad" feeling the next day. I woudn't know anything about that. :-)

So that is why you have this extreme stratification. Cheap ingredients, shody or cheap short manufacturing processes, vs. attention to detail. In fact when the Soviet Union disbanded, Gorbechev disbanded the "state run" factories. They quickly lost the quality aspects and reinstated the "state" factories whick provided a more historical, disciplined way to making vodka. Very much like the way the French imposed on how to make Champagne.

-Sergei

[MK]

So does that mean Smirnoff is not a good vodka? Why is it the most famous brand?

[Sergei]

Originally posted by MK
So does that mean Smirnoff is not a good vodka? Why is it the most famous brand?

Well most likely you drank the American version of Smirnoff. After the repeal of National Prohibition in 1933, the Heublein Company bought the rights to the Smirnoff brand of Vodka from its White Russian ?ɬ©migr?ɬ© owners and relaunched Vodka into the U.S. market. The American manufacturers tend to use the cheaper starches like corn and molasses. It's the most famous brand because we are here in the States. The most famous and ubiquitous brand in the WHOLE WORLD is none other, than "Stolychniya". Stoly Gold, is the premium version.

-Sergei

[Sergei]

Here is an excellent site that captures all the different ways Vodka is produced from country to country. Vodka clearly came from Mother Russia.
http://www.tastings.com/spirits/vodka.html

Another good site:
http://www.epinions.com/fddk-review-...39047CF0-prod5


-Sergei

[kent]

Well, cheap 1.75 L plastic bottle vodka glows..

I tried looking at the other vodka with a black light but don't think anything happened. (I probably wasn't in the most scientific state for testing)

--Kent

[Matt Deckard]

I stand by the Grey Goose. That stuff is smooth.

Grey Goose Vodka Martini with atwist of orange is the way I like it.

[MK]

Ahh...you and your French vodka.

[Matt Deckard]

So much anger toward the French...

You yourself have seen that these are a people who kick back and take in life. A people who take the time to perfect their food and drink.

If we americans are the fighters, the French are the cooks. Forget fast food and savour the flavors of a nation that takes pride in the food and drink their artisans create for their cooks are not cooks they are chefs.

[Minnesota_Jones]

Ever have a Stoly Doly - they take Pineapple slices and soak them in a huge pitcher of Stoly...... so it's a sort of Pineapple flavored vodka, very tasty!