Vodka

Vodka

clear and unaged spirit with no distinct flavors, characteristics, color or aroma. Neutral spirit

Neutral spirit

at or above 190 proof, bottled at no less than 80 proof

US Standards

• produced from any material

• 2g per liter of sugar and 1g per liter of citric acid

• bottled at a min of 80 proof (40% ABV)

EU Standards

• produced from potatoes, cereals, grapes

• glycerol and up to 9g per liter of sugar “to round off taste”

• bottled at a min of 75 proof (37.5% ABV)

Major Producers

Sweden, France, Russia, Poland, Italy, Netherlands, Latvia, USA

Origins

believed to be Poland or Russia

What was discovered in the 1870’s that improved vodka production by removing unwanted aromas and flavors?

charcoal filtration

Which distillation method is known for being more efficient and cost-efficient?

column distillation

What are the positive congeners in vodka?

Esters, Phenolics, Aldehydes

What year did Smirnoff start producing in the USA?

1933

What year did Vladimir Smirnoff sell rights to produce and market vodka?

1930

Base materials

corn, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, grains. No restrictions. Materials are plentiful and inexpensive

saccharification

heat is applied to starches to trigger the enzymatic outcome of converting starches to fermentable sugar

milling

process of grinding and separating wheat and other cereal grains in preparation for malting to make the starch more available for enzyme action

mashing

milled materials are mixed with water and alternatively heated and cooled in a mash tun to convert all materials to the form of fermentable sugars suitable for yeast consumption

What is the purpose of mashing?

• Mixes proper proportions of grains

• increase availability of the starch for enzyme action

• convert starches into fermentable sugars

fermentation

process that converts sugars in the malt to alcohol to create a wash

How long does fermentation take?

3-5 days

congeners

compounds other than ethyl alcohol produced during fermentation, responsible for much of the aroma and flavor in a fermented beverage or spirit

column distillation method

goal is to remove all or almost all congeners to an indistinguishable level to create a neutral spirit

reflux

influences how many and what types of congeners are imparted in the final distillate

common misconception

“distilled 6x for quality” is referring to the number of cycles the vodka runs through in a single continuous cyclical distillation rather than the actual number of separate distillation runs

What is the purpose of congeners?

responsible for most of the aroma and flavor

congeners in vodka

producers use several methods during production to strip the liquid of as many congeners as possible, as the goal is to create a neutral spirit

Negative congeners

methanol and acetaldehyde (ex. paint thinner)

positive congeners

• esters (fruit, floral, smoke)

• phenolics and aldehydes (oak, vanilla, cocoa, nuts)

Heads

first part of the distillate to come off

Hearts

center part of the distillate or portable spirit

Tails

also known as feints or fusel oils

cut points

points of separation between the heads and hearts, and the hearts and tails

Neutral vodka

flavor comes exclusively from the alcohol aroma

flavored vodka

comes from fruits, spices, herbs and other natural flavors

common flavored vodkas

lemon, raspberry, orange, vanilla

what proof does flavored vodka need to be bottled at?

bottled at 60 proof (30% ABV)

Russia

Hardy wheat

Poland

rye or potato

Sweden

winter wheat

France

wheat/winter wheat

Finland

barley

US

corn/wheat

wheat and barley

light bodied, smooth, balanced. Flavors of cereal and toast

rye

medium body, crisp, pepper, spice, complex

potato

full bodied, creamy, balanced

corn

light bodied, slightly sweet, crisp, balanced

grapes

light bodied, slightly sweet, delicate, citrusy, floral

requirements for base labels

EU regulations require that base materials be listed on the label if it is neither potatoes nor grains

• many premium brands list it anyway

Flavored US requirements

• base must be vodka, and add flavor with or without sugar

• min of 60 proof (30% ABV)

• must be labeled with name of predominant flavor

Flavored EU requirements

• base must be vodka that has been given predominant flavor other than that of raw materials

• min of 75 proof (35% ABV)

• no label requirements

Absolut

winter what with continuous distillation

Friesia

2 types of wheat, continous column, charcoal filtration

Gallant

French winter wheat, cold filter over 7 days

Grey Goose

winter what, French champagne limestone

Ketel One

finest European what, column distillation

Smirnoff

distilled 3x from American grains

Tito’s

distilled 6x, column and pot stills, 100% corn

Tower

corn, distilled 6x

Baiju

• vodka-like Chinese spirit

• means “white alcohol”

• most commonly made from Sorghum

• 80-120 proof (40-60% ABV)

• dates back several millennia, accounts for almost 1/3 of all spirits sold worldwide

• grouped into fragrance categories

• served warm or at room temperature

Shochu

• Japanese spirit

• means “burned liquor”

• barley, buckwheat, rice, sweet potatoes

• bottled 70 proof (35% ABV)

• aged 1 month to 3 years before bottling

• served neat, on the rocks, with cold/hot water

• chu-hai cocktail

Soju

• Korean distilled spirit

• made from rice, barley, or wehat

• cheaper versions use sweet potatoes, tapioca, cassava

• bottled at 32-90 proof (16-45%)

• usually served neat but can be used in mixes

• ex. Soju Neat, Somaek, Poktanju

high quality vodkas

delicate in aroma

low quality vodka

medicinal or rubbing-alcohol aroma