Credit: Guardian; Photograph: Aaron Tilley; James Johnson
Vodka and I have a wicked past. We are not the best of friends. Grey Goose in particular can go kick rocks! Vodka is a chameleon. It is a shapeshifter. It has no discernible taste, no soul if you will, like a whiskey or cognac. We pour it in a glass and douse it with cranberry, orange juice, or tonic because it doesn’t have legs of it’s own to stand on. For the past several years I have totally disregarded it’s existence.
But I have since become informed. I’m no longer ignorant. It first began with a vodka tasting I partook in with a Russian and his bottle of Russian Standard. It was the first time I drank vodka chilled and on it’s own. Not bad. Then recently I had the privilege of visiting the Middle West distillery in Columbus, Ohio. Then suddenly it all clicked.
Vodka was meant to drink neat and slightly chilled. It was not meant for mixing. Also vodka actually can have flavor. It has soul. But it may be that our Westernized palates are not quite ready to embrace vodka for what it is truly is. But you can acquire a taste for vodka if you 1) purchase a well embodied, properly distilled vodka and 2) learn to drink it neat.
I encourage you to do the following:
- Purchase a bottle of OYO Vodka, Russian Standard, or Belvedere
- Chill it to about 48° F, pour it into a shot glass, and drink it.
- Repeat the last two steps responsibly
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