Battle of the Vodkas

        Oh, vodka.  My favorite go-to liquor.  My love affair with vodka began when I heard that it contains way fewer calories than other popular liquors, such as bourbon or rum.  But I stuck with it because of its smooth taste that pretty much goes with anything.  It's the only liquor you can really eat at dinner without the taste clashing with, or overpowering your food. 

 

 My favorite vodka drink, is extremely simple.  Vodka on the rocks.  I like to enjoy the taste without any added mixers.  A squeeze of lemon and lime, or a splash of seltzer water on top is always good, as well.

   Vodka with muddled fresh fruit is always a winner, too.  I like strawberry martinis:  muddled fresh strawberries shaken with ice and vodka, then strained into a martini glass.  Rim the glass with sugar, and you have a sweet, yet low calorie, and vitamin c- filled cocktail.  Watermelon martinis are the perfect drink for sunbathing-  muddled watermon, fresh mint and/or basil, vodka and ice strained into a martini glass.  A very hydrating and refreshing cocktail.

strawberry martini with a colored sugar rim

the components of a watermelon martini

               

When you just aren't in the mood to do any calorie counting, and when you're in need of a hearty, delicious, keep you warm in the cold weather kind of drink- it's time for a white russian.  

The recipe is simple, and the results speak for themselves.

 But what brand of vodka should you use when trying out these 

awesome drinks?

This is definitely a hotly contested issue.  I was, for years a hard core Grey Goose lover.  

Not quite to this extent, ^^^  but I always argued that it was simply the smoothest brand out there.

     Not to mention, the Grey Goose flavored vodkas were some of the only flavored liquors on the market that avoided being thick, sugary, and syrupy.  Grey Goose flavored products offer subtle, tasty hints of the flavor.  They don't overwhelm you with way too much flavor.  My two favorites are the cherry noir, and the pear flavors.


      I also have always been a fan of Stolichnaya, or "Stoli" vodka.  Very smooth, extremely reasonable price.  And yes, I fell for the cool ad campaigns.

 Stoli is usually only considered a "call" drink at bars, which is a category just above "wells", which is "the cheap crap."  So, it's a good choice when you're out on the town.  A grey goose drink can cost anywhere from 8- 12 dollars, but a Stoli drink usually only runs from 5 to 8 dollars.  (And it's hard to distinguish any major difference, when the liquor is buried in strong mixers, such as sprite or cranberry juice.)

I did some experimenting with one of the most expensive vodkas on the market-  Ciroc (P. Diddy's brand of vokda which is unimpressive and grossly overpriced.)  

It's kind of funny that Ciroc brags about using "french grapes" to make their product.  Guess what, guys ?  There's a reason companies have been using grain or potatoes to create vodka- grapes don't produce very tasty vodka.  Plus, using grapes can make for a wicked hangover.  Too sweet.  Next!

My favorite vodka today is so smooth then when my bartender friend Mark served it to me on the rocks, I accused him of teasing me and serving me a water.  It's not too expensive; it costs about the same as Grey Goose, around 25 dollars for a 750 ml bottle.

Perfect taste.  If Goose and Stoli were tasty hamburgers, then Ketel is a juicy filet.  Super smooth. This Dutch vodka, still owned ten generations later by the Nolet family of Dutch distillers, does not disappoint.  Clean, refreshing taste.

So tasty it is almost a shame to add mixers.

Well, don't take my word for it.  Every vodka brings something to the table.  Even a warm handle of Popov or Mr. Boston, for example could be perfect for, let's say a group of twenty college freshman on a camp-out.  There's no need to get to snobby when it comes to drinking.  Whether you're preparing a killer white russian, a crisp watermelon and mint martini, or sitting down to do some blogging with a Ketel on the rocks ;) , happy drinking !

Just be careful..