Dinner party and wanting to take the host a bottle of vodka. Gimme your choices. Leave off Goose and Titos...I got those covered. But not being a vodka drinker I'm in over my head here.
monopolowa or ketel one for potato vodka ciroc for grape distilled vodka shustoff (at spec's) instead of tito's or goose
ok....not realizing there where different kinds of vodka....She drinks Polar Ice? quite a bit. I don't know if this is potato vodka or not??
Polar Ice is a Canadian vodka produced by Corby Distilleries Limited.[1] Produced from 100% Canadian wheat, Polar Ice is notable for being quadruple distilled in a patented extraction process which rids the vodka of microscopic impurities.[2] Polar Ice was awarded the San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold Medal for Best Product Quality in 2003 and is Canada's fastest growing vodka.[3] Polar Ice is an eighty proof spirit, priced similarly to Smirnoff and Svedka. I LOVE Polar Ice btw. Good stuff. Doesn't give you the hangover like some other vodkas.
I'm a Belvedere guy, but have been drinking "Effen" lately and like it...a lot. Personally, I don't go for any of the infused stuff.
I sampled one called Snow Queen, (I'm pretty sure that's it) at Specs and thought it was pretty good. Other than Titos, go w/ Drip Springs
my mother in law swears by the 2 liter plastic bottle of Albertson's Vodka. Not kidding. I dare you to take one of those.
When I want to spoil myself this is what I buy. This is the most awesome potato vodka and is much more than smooth. It is pricey though.
I have a bottle of Snow Queen. Also Tito's and Dripping Springs. We've done blind tastings of all of them multiple times. Tito's always comes out on the bottom. I personally prefer Dripping Springs - and the price is right.
Ok everybody in Austin get off the Titos local distilled bandwagon. We know its local stuff, but tastes it like crap, and will hang you over like Arkansas Moonshine. I never understand the Titos craze...
you all lose. XO vodka is so far superior to everything else it is not a clsoe race at all. ketel, tito's, chopin, belvedere, goose ltierally taste like hairspray compared to it. stoli elit is a somewhat close second. zubrowka is great for the price if budget is a concern.
When drinking dirty martini's, I prefer Chopin, Belvedere, Goose then Kettle One. For a vodka tonic, I like Kettle One Citron.
The NYT had a taste test some time ago and iirc Smirnoff won. For a gift, however, you may want to go upscale for appearances sake.
Truth be told, Smirinoff is a damn fine vodka with an unwarranted bad reputation derived from the fact that they don't charge a lot for it.
My first thought on reading this thread is to tell you that with vodka it doesn't matter. Most vodka is used as a mixer anyway. So I have been holding back on this and telling all of you that numerous tests have been given that show that vodka drinkers in a blind test nearly always pick a cheaper vodka as their favorite. After all vodka is grain alcohol cut with water and does not have the aging process of good bourbons or scotch. However, with Scottsins passionate argument, I am open to being wrong/misinformed. Since I am a bourbon connoisseur and only drink vodka in mixed drinks, perhaps there are vodka connoisseurs that can tell the difference between numerous vodkas in a blind test. I would like to meet up with Scottsins in Austin after a game some day and be proven wrong. Seriously. I agree with Scottsins that drinking is serious business. I don't want to hold wrong views on alcohol. So wannawinit, I still say go with the least expensive name brand (so that you don't look cheap), but I am open to a vodka stud showing me they can tell the difference between vodka's in a blind test. Good luck.
Normally I am a Tito's girl, but I had some 42 Below the other day and that stuff is good. They have a honey vodka. The guy mixed it with Sweet Leaf Tea. Good stuff.
also, to the post two above this one: I used to use vodka as a mixer. I now drink the good **** on the rocks. It is smooth, no burn and very refreshing. It would be like me saying that bourbon selection doesn't matter, because people just mix it with coca cola anyway. also, I would additionally claim that even to non-connoisseurs, if I put glasses of XO, tito's and belvedere next to each other, about 70% of the people will prefer XO and they will not take more than 5 seconds to reach this preference. on the rocks, XO makes tito's, goose, chopin, 42 below, belvedere and Ciroq taste like hairspray. This is not hyperbole.
Scottsins, whether it is confidence or arrogance, it inspires me. I will go out this week and buy a bottle of XO. I will drink it on the rocks or neat. Your thoughts on that? But let me say, that Bourbon with coke is a sin. The only American whiskey, its process dictitated by law, mixed??? No, no, no. I'll sometimes relax with Jack and coke, rum and coke, etc. But my serious drinking is always a good bourbon neat or on the rocks. Thanks Scottsins and good luck with your choice Wannawinit.
One you might want to try is Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka. It is a polish potato vodka flavored with bison grass. The Polish mix it with a little apple juice. Doesn't sound great, but the combination of the apple juice and the bison grass is really good. Went to a vodka tasting part a year ago and brought this one. Was the hit of the party.
