Flavored Vodka

History of Vodka

The origin of vodka is not very clear, but we do know for sure that it originated in Eastern Europe.

The earliest record of Russian vodka dates back to the end of the 9th century. However, the first popular distillery is not known to have taken place until some 200 years later, in the early 12th century.

Another vodka-producing country is Poland. Its first vodkas were produced in the 11th century under the term "gorzalka", and its main use was medicinal.

In the 14th century, it was a British ambassador in Moscow who first described vodka as Russia's national drink. Later, in the 16th century, it was also named the national drink in Finland and Poland.

There were several types of vodka, which were classified according to their quality. A distinction was made between 'simple', 'good', 'voyardo' and 'double'. The latter is the strongest of all and was distilled at least twice.

Between the late 15th and early 16th century, vodka began to be mass-produced, and its first exports were to Sweden. The drink became highly popular from the 19th century onwards, thanks to Russian soldiers involved in wars. Demand increased, which led to the production of lower quality products.

In order to put an end to this problem, the number of distilleries in Russia was reduced from 5,000 to 2,050 in 30 years. Even so, the problem was not solved, and in 1894 a law was passed to make vodka a state monopoly.

This law also put an end to the so-called "drunkenness epidemic" caused by mass-produced cheap vodka.
It was at the end of the 19th century that a common technique was adopted among Russian distilleries, guaranteeing the quality of the product. It was then that the spirit officially adopted the name Vodka.

After the Russian Revolution, refugees emigrated to other European countries and to the United States. A large number of distilleries were born, but it would take a few decades for them to become successful.
Then came the 1960s and 70s and the vodka boom took place, largely thanks to the versatility of vodka for mixing.

At first, flavours and aromas were added to vodka in order to cover up the bad taste of recipes in the Middle Ages. Later, a quality standard was established, which meant that several distillations were carried out, thus achieving a more neutral and smoother taste.

Then, flavoured vodka went from being a method to cover up the taste, to become a real opportunity to create original and unique recipes, with great master blenders behind each product. Their aim is to make us live authentic experiences through every sip.

Elaboration

The production process of flavoured vodka is the same as that of a white vodka, except that an extra step is added to the flavoured vodka. This step is the flavouring step.

The complete process of flavoured vodka production consists of four steps:

Fermentation

Fermentation of vodka can be done using cereals, molasses, potato or rice. The ingredient used will vary depending on the country of origin of the vodka. In Eastern Europe, it is most commonly produced from potatoes or rice, while in the rest of Europe it is usually produced from grain and molasses.

Distillation

The alcohol is checked for quality and is either further distilled or filtered through activated charcoal to remove residues. It may then be further distilled once or twice and mixed with pure water.

Filtration

It is filtered by passing the vodka through columns of charcoal, or if the vodka is of lower quality, it is filtered in tanks to which the same material is added.

Flavouring

Flavoured vodkas, which are the ones we are concerned with, in addition to undergoing the other processes that white vodka undergoes, add the flavouring step. In general, vodka does not need to be rested. However, in order to flavour it, it spends a few days macerating with fruits, herbs or any other flavouring agent selected by the master blender.

Graduation

The last step is to add high purity water to the mixture. The amount will depend on the percentage of alcohol desired in the final product. It should be noted that the EU sets a legal minimum of 37.5% alcoholic volume for this to be marketable.

Types

Despite the shady beginnings of flavoured vodka, today, they are very popular thanks to their virtues, such as the variety of different flavours or their multiple uses in the world of cocktails. According to their flavour, we can classify them as follows:

Caramel

It is distilled from sugar, offering sweet flavours and aromas, which make it a perfect vodka to drink on its own or in cocktails.

Black

This type of vodka stands out for its dark colour thanks to the selection of fruity ingredients in this aspect. It goes perfectly with citrus soft drinks.

Fruity or Herbal

This type of vodka is the one with fruity or herbal spicy flavours, such as apple, red fruits, pear, vanilla? These flavours make them perfect for mixing, giving your cocktails unique notes.

Citrus

Just like the fruity or herbal ones, the citrus ones macerate with the mixture, giving the vodka flavours such as lemon, lime, tangerine...

Cocktails

As you already know, flavoured vodka is ideal for creating exquisite cocktails, so if you like to invent, you are in luck. There is a wide variety of different flavours, ranging from the sweetness of caramel vodka to the refreshing citrus.

Here are some suggestions for mixes you'll love.

Berry Caipiroska

Crushed ice, 60ml of berry vodka, 1 slice of lime, a spoonful of sugar and berries to taste.

Black Magic

Ice, 50ml black vodka, 25ml grenadine, 175ml lemon soda and some cherries.

Sweet Mix

Ice, 75ml caramel vodka, 25ml Irish cream, 25ml chocolate liqueur and 25ml almond liqueur.

Fresh Citric

Ice, 65ml citrus vodka, half a tablespoon of sugar, 200ml lemon-lime soda and a couple of thin slices of cucumber.

Brands

These are some of the most representative brands in the flavoured vodka category:

Absolut

Ciroc

Eristoff

Gecko

J.J. Whitley

Nuvo

Roberto Cavalli

Romanoff

Curiosities

Origin

We usually associate vodka with Russia, but the truth is that, although the name of the drink is Russian, its origin is actually unknown. Vodka may also be produced in other places such as Finland, Sweden or Poland.

Use in weapons

In the Middle Ages, vodka was even used in the manufacture of gunpowder.

Name

Vodka is known in part for its high purity distillate. So much so that its name comes from the Russian word "voda", water.