Your super-premium vodka is custom-distilled by...Archer Daniels Midland

[stir it up]

Hans, thanks for sharing your knowledge. Your restraint on a more shameless plug is also impressive!

I wouldn't mind if you tell me what your vodka is, or recommend any other artisan distillers product also.

[AllanMcPherson]

I will also throw my support to the potato vodkas, especially the Polish. What a depth of character!

That said I think that the slamming of grain vodka on the basis that the alcohol might come from the same source across brands is missing the point. A large part of the "personality" of vodka comes from the water that it is blended with. Vodka itself is named from a river that reportedly produced wonderful, or at least iconic, spirits. To look at the origin of the "booze" alone as a marker of quality shows a poor understanding of the product.

--Al

[AndyG]

I have never tasted the water that's in vodka

but seriously, how can it make that much a difference that the brands are really distinguishable?

[Hans]

Originally Posted by AllanMcPherson

A large part of the "personality" of vodka comes from the water that it is blended with. Vodka itself is named from a river that reportedly produced wonderful, or at least iconic, spirits. To look at the origin of the "booze" alone as a marker of quality shows a poor understanding of the product.

--Al

Allan, the whole "water" in spirits thing is way over hyped. Vodka is clear, when you use a water with minerals in it, they will eventually precipitate out leaving you with a bunch of powder in the bottom of your bottle. This while not being bad for you, is unsightly- consumers won't buy it. It is for that reason every(?) distillery treats the water by removing the minerals before blending with alcohol. So essentially every vodka uses the same water- once you take out minerals you are left with h2O.

Think about this- the vodka's that say they use "Pure Rocky Mountain" water do they just collect water running off the side of a mountain? How about those Bourbon distilleries in KY, just sucking water off the adjacent stream? No of course not- there isn't a health dept in this land that would allow that. It's all de-mineralized thus removing the differences.

Water makes a good story to tell about your vodka when you have nothing else to sell it on.

[AllanMcPherson]

Thanks for the correction, Hans. I'm (obviously) not a distiller myself and most of my info come from what I've read and tasted. I am curious as to why vodka makers would then go through the effort and expense to collect water from say, icebergs and glaciers. Is it just for a marketing stunt, cache, and a romantic image?

Al

[Jim]

I have a friend that works for a distributor operation here. He turned me on to Hangar One. Smoooooth and tasty. The Kafir Lime is amazing... flavored with the fruit itself, not some chemical process. From what I hear, a couple of guys in California starting making vodka in an airplane hangar, hence the name. I am a real lightweight, but I really like the flavor. The packaging is cool, too - aluminum bottles that are reminiscent of the body of a plane. I am all for supporting the 'little,' independent guy. Not much in the budget, though, for really, really good libations.

[Hans]

Originally Posted by Jim

I have a friend that works for a distributor operation here. He turned me on to Hangar One. Smoooooth and tasty. The Kafir Lime is amazing... flavored with the fruit itself, not some chemical process. From what I hear, a couple of guys in California starting making vodka in an airplane hangar, hence the name. I am a real lightweight, but I really like the flavor. The packaging is cool, too - aluminum bottles that are reminiscent of the body of a plane. I am all for supporting the 'little,' independent guy. Not much in the budget, though, for really, really good libations.

Hangar One is produced by St. George Spirits in Alameda CA (on an old Naval air station). It was started by Jorg Rupf- a German who came to the states to study law. Their products are great! I'm a big fan too. They also make a very good Whiskey. Bottles are glass- not sure but you may be confusing them with another brand.

I hear a lot of people say good spirits are expensive, but let me point out that a $30 bottle of really good vodka is going to last more than twice as long as a $15 bottle of wine!

Life is too short to drink cheap booze

[Hans]

Originally Posted by AllanMcPherson

Thanks for the correction, Hans. I'm (obviously) not a distiller myself and most of my info come from what I've read and tasted. I am curious as to why vodka makers would then go through the effort and expense to collect water from say, icebergs and glaciers. Is it just for a marketing stunt, cache, and a romantic image?

Al

To answer your questions- yes, yes and yes. Lets face it vodka isn't the most exciting spirit- it's ethanol and it's a spirit that has a rather limited range of tastes. Most vodka's don't have a decent story or gimick and to make it in the booze world you better have a good story- so make one up!

[MikeLM]

Hans-
Interesting reply, and I wish you well.

Send me a case and I'll write you a testimonial!

A question about the WSJ's statement that vodkas are not well suited to pot still production: what are the artisanal producers using? Presumably not ADM-type industrial equipment...

Thanks

Mike

[Hans]

Originally Posted by MikeLM

Hans-
Interesting reply, and I wish you well.

Send me a case and I'll write you a testimonial!

A question about the WSJ's statement that vodkas are not well suited to pot still production: what are the artisanal producers using? Presumably not ADM-type industrial equipment...

Thanks

Mike

Thanks Mike I'll consider shipping that case out real soon!

Nothing like the sort of continous still system ADM uses. Many craft distillers have a hybrid system- it's a potstill (so still a batch process) but with the addition of one or two rectification columns that increase the proof. On top of this some distillers essentially create their "flavor" with their pot still and columns and blend it with neutral grain alcohol obtained from the likes of ADM. A lot may say why bother? but the fact is your sense of taste is very sensitive- adding as little as 1% by volume of some additive is going to be noticeable.

Cheers!

[Hans]

Originally Posted by stir it up

Hans, thanks for sharing your knowledge. Your restraint on a more shameless plug is also impressive!

I wouldn't mind if you tell me what your vodka is, or recommend any other artisan distillers product also.

Sorry, forgot to mention some great artisan vodka's (check out their other products too- some really neat stuff happening with spirits from these folks)...

Hangar One... CA
Medoyeff... Oregon
Charbay... CA
Bend Distillery... Oregon
North Shore... Ill
Rehorst... WI
Cold River... Maine
Triple Eight... Mass.
Vermont Gold... Verm.

...many more that don't come to mind at the moment.

[RPMcMurphy]

let us not forget the fact that WSJ is now owned by the same folks who publish New York Post's page six............

[RPMcMurphy]

Originally Posted by AllanMcPherson

I will also throw my support to the potato vodkas, especially the Polish. What a depth of character!

All i can think of when I see potato vodka is the scene from the Great Escape for some reason haha.