An introduction to vodka

Vodka is essentially a neutral spirit, bordering on flavourless. Almost 100 per cent pure ethanol diluted with water, all but the slightest influence of the original ingredients distilled away, the entire point of the style is to be crisp and clean. Vodka is perfect for sipping very cold as a palate cleanser when eating things like pickled vegetables and smoked meats, and is also a critical cocktail ingredient because the alcohol acts as a flavour enhancer without adding any flavour of its own.

Vodka emerged as a style in Northeast Europe (places like Russia and Poland), and over time has leaned more and more towards neutral, crisp and clean, especially after the invention of the column still in the late 19th century, which vastly improved the efficiency of distillation. Vodka is in many ways the opposite of whisky: one is designed to highlight the flavour and character of the grains from which it is distilled, the other designed to strip away all of that character for something entirely neutral.

Unlike other spirits, vodka is not defined by the base agricultural produce from which it is made, but rather by how neutral the final spirit is. The vast majority of vodka in the world is distilled from mass-produced grains like wheat, barley and corn because they are the cheapest source of fermentable sugar. However, there are also brands made from other sources of sugar, such as grapes, potatoes and sugar cane, all of which have a subtle influence on the final product.

Cheap, poorly made vodkas will often taste harsh and hot, although this is not generally noticeable in a mixed drink, while quality vodkas will maintain texture and ease of drinking even in a martini or on the rocks. Of course, there are also flavoured vodkas that range from the simple – like citrus flavoured vodka – to complex botanical vodkas almost resembling gin, to outlandish concoctions like pavlova and birthday-cake flavoured vodkas that sometimes veer towards liqueur territory due to added sugar.

Vodka was not at all popular outside of Eastern Europe until the 1940s, when it became fashionable to drink in the US as a countercultural tipple during the Cold War. During the 1970s, '80s and '90s, it became America's favourite spirit on the back of declining interest in brown spirits and massive marketing campaigns from brands like Smirnoff and Absolut.

In Australia, almost all vodka is made from a base of neutral spirit produced at Manildra, a large, industrial grain distillery in New South Wales. This spirit is purchased in bulk by various producers around the country who then dilute and sometimes re-distill the spirit, then package it under their own brands. But while the lion’s share of vodka brands are made from repackaged industrial grain spirit, there are a handful of large Australian producers like Grainshaker who make their own spirit from scratch, as well as some smaller, craft producers who also make their own base spirit. There are even a couple of really fun and esoteric brands making vodka from unique sources of fermentable sugar. Hartshorn in Tasmania, for example, makes its vodka from sheep’s whey leftover from cheese production.

But at the end of the day, the quality of most vodka will come down to how cheaply it was made, and beyond about $80/bottle, with the exception of really boutique stuff like Hartshorn, the majority of the price will come down to packaging and marketing.

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Top image: Husk Distillery courtesy of Destination NSW