Man/Woman does not live by wine alone. Two brands of the number one selling spirit in North America—vodka—are reviewed for you along with some history and background.

Vodka is distilled from a mash of vegetal matter, often grain—wheat for upscale Russian and rye for Poland’s best. Both lay claim to being the first to make vodka some time around the 13th century. It’s also made from beets, potatoes and molasses. It can be distilled in either a ‘pot still’ or a ‘column still’. It’s distilled many times before attaining an alcohol percentage from 35 to 50 per cent, sometimes higher. The bulls-eye is supposedly 38% alcohol by volume—if too much higher it burns, if much lower it’s weak and watery. Vodka was taxed on alcohol content and 40 was easier to calculate than 38—you can guess the rest, most of it is now distilled to 40%.

Vodka met with limited success when introduced to the U.S. and Canada, but it now accounts for 25% of distilled spirits sold here. Early on vodka was marketed as white whiskey, but consumers found it too strong for their tastes. It received its first kick up the popularity ladder from the ‘Moscow Mule’, a vodka-based cocktail—vodka and ginger ale, or ginger beer, and fresh lime. The ‘Absolut’ brand from Sweden now accounts for almost half of imported vodka sales in North America leading the way with a highly successful line of flavoured vodkas.

And then there was Bond, James Bond, “Vodka martini, shaken, not stirred”. Most vodka is consumed in mixed drinks or cocktails like a Bloody Mary, Long Island Ice Tea, Kamikaze, Sex on the Beach, Cosmopolitan, White Russian or Screwdriver. The less expensive brands are the biggest sellers and usually produce a ‘burn’. It hardly matters about the ‘burn’ or quality when making a cocktail as it’s lost in the mix. If you, like Bond, take your vodka in a Martini (shaken or stirred), straight-up or over ice, you’ll want to up the ante and go for an upmarket brand.

Here are reviews of two premium brands—both from The Netherlands, 40% alcohol by volume and tasted over ice.

EFFEN Vodka
Hooghoudt Distillers, The Netherlands
$43.95 (22079) 750 mL
Distilled from wheat grain via a multi-column distillation process and filtered through peat, it claims a smooth texture—‘effen’ is Dutch slang for smooth. Distilled at a lower temperature, it professes to use ‘perfect water’. Silky smooth and generously textured, this offers good weight and a substantial mouthfeel. There are hints of sweet citrussy notes and a sprig of clean cool mint on the finish. (VH)

Ketel One Vodka
Nolet Distillers, The Netherlands
$39.95 (456095) 750 mL
Distilled in small batches from wheat grain via an alembic pot still—the traditional method—and filtered through loose charcoal, it’s been family owned since 1691 continuing to use the same ‘secret’ recipe. They use a ‘middle-batch’ process, discarding the first and last third of each batch. This is medium in body and texture and offers very subdued aromas of citrus—predominantly orange—along with flavour that hints of vanilla along with faint nuances of licorice and warm spice. It finishes dry, crisp and clean. (VH)