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ALL IN GOOD TASTE AS THE VODKA CATEGORY GETS INCREASINGLY CROWDED, A NUMBER OF BRANDS ARE USING NON-TRADITIONAL INGREDIENTS TO STAND OUT. By Noah Rothbaum ast spring Duncan Holaday and his family collected 120,000 gallons of local Vermont maple sap. But L unlike just about every other Vermonter tapping trees, Holaday’s sap wasn’t going to be turned into sickly sweet sugar candies or even delicious amber pancake syrup. Instead the maple sap was used to make an even rarer and more unusual product: a $70 super-premium vodka. Since 2003, Holaday’s business, Vermont Spirits, has been producing unique small batch premium vodkas from maple sugar. DESPITE ITS FORMAL DEFINITION, VODKAS ARE NOT COMPLETELY NEUTRAL, AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO TELL ONE FROM ANOTHER. Holaday’s vodka is a far cry from the taste has been a key component of most spirit’s origins. People living in Eastern vodka promotional campaigns. Europe have been making vodka from grains and purified water for hundreds of Creating Controversy years. But you can now add grapes, soy But not everybody is happy about these and even something called “milk sugar” unusual and interesting vodkas entering to that rapidly growing list of ingredi- the market. Today most vodka produced ents. As an increasing number of premi- is still made from wheat and, to a lesser um vodkas fight for shelf space and extent, potatoes or rye. Companies attention, how a spirit tastes has become based mostly in Eastern Europe and increasingly important and a way for a Scandinavia, which make the spirit brand to distinguish itself. One way to from traditional ingredients, recently achieve this is to make vodka from an tried to get the European Union to limit untraditional base ingredient. This the definition of what a vodka can be movement has broadened the category made from. In opposition, something and has allowed distillers around the called the European Vodka Alliance world to produce vodka with a local formed _ “Championing Europe’s spin. Diverse Vodka Traditions.” Regardless if the EU rules are changed, this was clear- Not Really Neutral ly an attempt to force upstart and untra- This focus on flavor is a shift away from ditional brands from the category and neutrality, which long served as the removed from store shelves. It also barometer of vodka quality. At first it showed that even the biggest vodka might seem odd that vodka makers brands are taking these irreverent spirits would be so concerned about taste given seriously. that by definition the spirit should be However, distillers maintain these flavorless, odorless and tasteless. But, of unique ingredients aren’t just a promo- course, vodkas aren’t completely neutral tional stunt and actually affect the way a and it is possible to tell one from anoth- spirit tastes. For example, in 2003 er in a taste test. Almost from its incep- Diageo, which owns the biggest vodka tion ten years ago, Grey Goose has been brand in the world, Smirnoff, intro- promoting itself as the “the world’s best duced the innovative Cîroc vodka made tasting vodka.” The company backs up in France from local Mauzac Blanc and the claim with its top place finish in a Ugni Blanc grapes. The company main- Chicago Beverage Tasting Institute tains that because of how the spirit is vodka competition. The catchy produced, Cîroc retains the grapes’ moniker helped the company convince sweetness, aroma and character. And, as consumers that premium vodkas were a result, it is supposed to work particu- worth the extra money and, ever since, larly well in cocktails. WHAT’S IN YOUR VODKA? Retaining Its Unique that strips out impurities but preserves Some ingredients are more recognizable Flavor what the brand calls a “delicate flavor than others, but all are certainly a step Vodka gets its purity and smoothness profile and rich texture.” According to away from the norm. From maple syrup from the distillation process. The com- Gray Ottley, director of Distilled mon wisdom is that the more times a Resources which makes the vodka for to grapes to soy, here’s a sampling of spirit is distilled and filtered the purer Blue Ice, this was no accident. “We what some of these interesting spirits it will become. Many brands proudly leave the flavor in,” he says. “It matters are made from: boast how many times their vodka has what it tastes like.” been distilled. Reyka Vodka, which is In addition to just taste, some of Bison Grass: made with unfiltered Arctic spring these vodkas made from esoteric ingre- Bison Grass water drawn from a 4,000 year old lava dients are trying to appeal to a whole field, is actually filtered through lava new category of health conscious shop- Grapes: rock to attain the highest level of puri- pers who are increasingly interested in Cîroc ty possible. But some master distillers organic products. For example, Square Hangar One are purposefully distilling and filtering One Vodka ($30 to $35 a bottle), Idol their vodka fewer times to retain more which debuted during the spring of Roth of its taste. One example is the 2006, is the first certified American UV Vermont Spirits Gold Vodka that is organic rye vodka. 3 Vodka ($19.99 to triple distilled and “lightly filtered.” $24.99 a bottle), made from soy, not Maple Syrup: This allows for actually being able to only appeals to so called “green” Vermont Gold taste the fermented maple in the fin- drinkers, but also to people who suffer ished spirit. Making the spirit more from celiac disease and cannot process Milk Sugar: neutral “would be foolish,” says gluten, which is found in many grains. Vermont White Holaday, the company’s founder and The vodka is certified by both the veg- master distiller. “The vodka is unfla- etarian and celiac foundations. Potatoes: vored, but carries the character of what Both beer and spirit makers are 44 Degrees North it’s made from,” he says. now trying to produce products that Blue Ice Some of the potato vodkas are also aren’t made with gluten to appeal to Chopin purposely retaining more flavor. For this untapped market of an estimated 3 Christiania example, Cold River Vodka (around million drinkers. How big is this trend? Cold River $32), from Maine, is made in small Last winter, beer giant Anheuser- Luksusowa batches to produce what the company Busch, introduced Redbridge, which is Monopolowa calls a “subtle sweetness.” Blue Ice made from sorghum. No doubt it won’t Peconika Vodka ($20), from Idaho, is made be long before someone introduces a I Spudka using a fractional distillation process 100% sorghum vodka. Teton Glacier VikingFjord Zodiac Rice: Han Rye: Belvedere Shakers Square One Xellent Swiss Soy: 3 Vodka White Birch Leaves: White Birch.