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Vodka

Vodka is misunderstood.  In the United States, it has been downed as a shot, and used as a bittering agent to tone back highly sugary drinks.  It is partially because of this approach to consumption that vodka had become “as smooth as possible” and “without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color”.  However, this misses the intricacies and nuance of vodka.  To appreciate this spirit, one only needs to look at the traditional food pairings in vodka’s home, the Baltic Region of Europe.  There, traditional methods of sipping vodka neat while having appetizers of cured meat and pickled food include vodka with the zakuski in Russia, the smörgåsbord in Sweden, the koldtbord in Norway, the kolde bord in Denmark, and the seisova pöytä in Finland.

The recent TTB rule change, reflects how vodka has always been produced, as well as reflects the shift in craft distilling which places an emphasis on flavor.  However, unlike other products which have more distinct delineations in flavor, vodka’s flavor differences are more subtle due to the high proof at which it comes off the still.  These subtle differences do have common trends, largely due to the base fermentable that they are made from, as many of the other production techniques have minimal impact or are difficult to quantify.

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Vodka Laws

  • United States
  • European Union
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United States
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations Title 27, Chapter I, Subchapter A, Part 5, Subpart C §5.22 The standards of identity.

“Standards of identity for the several classes and types of distilled spirits set forth in this section shall be as follows (see also §5.35, class and type):
(a) Class 1; neutral spirits or alcohol. “Neutral spirits” or “alcohol” are distilled spirits produced from any material at or above 190° proof, and, if bottled, bottled at not less than 80° proof.
(1) “Vodka” is neutral spirits which may be treated with up to two grams per liter of sugar and up to one gram per liter of citric acid. Products to be labeled as vodka may not be aged or stored in wood barrels at any time except when stored in paraffin-lined wood barrels and labeled as bottled in bond pursuant to §5.42(b)(3). Vodka treated and filtered with not less than one ounce of activated carbon or activated charcoal per 100 wine gallons of spirits may be labeled as “charcoal filtered.””
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The European Union

REGULATION (EC) No 110/2008 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL ANNEX II
15.  Vodka

(a) Vodka is a spirit drink produced from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin obtained following fermentation with yeast from either:
(i) potatoes and/or cereals, or
 
(ii) other agricultural raw materials, distilled and/or rectified so that the organoleptic characteristics of the raw materials used and by-products formed in fermentation are selectively reduced.

This process may be followed by redistillation and/or treatment with appropriate processing aids, including treatment with activated charcoal, to give it special organoleptic characteristics.

Maximum levels of residue for ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin shall meet those laid down in Annex I, except that the methanol content shall not exceed 10 grams per hectolitre of 100 % vol. alcohol.

(b)
The minimum alcoholic strength by volume of vodka shall be 37.5 %.

(c)
The only flavourings which may be added are natural flavouring compounds present in distillate obtained from the fermented raw materials. In addition, the product may be given special organoleptic characteristics, other than a predominant flavour.

(d)
The description, presentation or labelling of vodka not produced exclusively from the raw material(s) listed in paragraph (a)(i) shall bear the indication ‘produced from ...’, supplemented by the name of the raw material(s) used to produce the ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin. Labelling shall be in accordance with Article 13(2) of Directive 2000/13/EC.


Ingredients

  • Base Fermentable
  • Water
  • Other Ingredients
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​Typical Base Fermentable Characteristics
The characteristics of vodka often mirror a bread made from the same ingredients, with a butter like quality to them.  This should come as no surprise as both vodka and bread are made from yeast and grain.
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  • Rye
    • Characteristics: Spice and Rye Bread notes including those of fennel and caraway seed

  • Wheat
    • Characteristics: Buttery toasted white bread
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Potato
  • Characteristics: Vegetal, Earthy and Creamy with Mashpotato notes
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Corn
  • Characteristics: Notes of Creamed Corn
Bulk Alcohol Refined
  • Some vodka is made from purchasing Bulk Neutral Grain Spirit (GNS) and then add their own distillate to it, or refine and modify the bulk spirit though additional distillation, filtration and additives.
  • The following is an example Neutral Bases available from UltraPure
    https://ultrapure-usa.com/services-2/distilleries-blenders-bottlers/#

Major Producers of Bulk Spirits
  • UltraPure: https://ultrapure-usa.com/services-2/spirits-brand-owners/
  • MGP: https://www.mgpingredients.com/​


Domestic Vodka/Gin Bases
All Spirits are GMO Free, Kosher, Gluten/Allergen Free
  • Missouri Corn Alcohol: 190 proof, 6x distilled, 
  • Iowa Corn Alcohol: 190 proof, 4x distilled
  • Illinois Corn Alcohol: 190 proof, 4x distilled
  • Kansas Corn Alcohol: 190 proof, 4x distilled
  • Organic Corn Alcohol: 190 proof, USDA Certified Organic
  • Neutral Sugar Cane Alcohol: 190 proof, 4x distilled

Imported Vodka/Gin Neutral Bases
  • French Wheat Alcohol: 4x distilled in the Champagne Valley of France
  • Amsterdam Dutch Wheat Alcohol: 4x Distilled
  • Polish Potato Alcohol; 5x distilled from premium Polish potato varieties, Kosher
  • Organic Northern Italian Wheat; 4x distilled from Italian grown wheat, USDA/NOP Certified Organic, Kosher
  • Wheat Grain Neutral Spirits; 190 proof, distilled from 100% wheat
  • Organic Neutral Sugar Cane: USDA/NOP and EU Certified Organic, Non-GMO, Kosher
  • Neutral Rye Alcohol: 5x distilled
  • Neutral Grape Alcohol: 192 Proof, distilled from many French Grape varieties
Water
Vodka is made from approximately 60% water, so the water source is important.  It should be noted that Reverse Osmosis strips water of its mineral content.  For this reason, it’s great for making products in multiple places around the world, as it provides consistent water quality.  The drawback is that it makes the water unique.  In our research, we were unable to find enough companies water filtration methodology to include it as a column in our spreadsheet.  
Additives
  • Sugar and citric acid may be added to alter the mouthfeel and texture of vodka.  

Production

  • Distillation
  • Filtration
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Distillation
  • Stills
    Vodka is typically made in continuous column stills, but can also occur in pot stills, or in the case of Reyka Vodka, a Carterhead still 

  • Distillation Proof​
    Vodka is typically distilled to 95% ABV before being brought down to proof.  This means that many of the conjinurs that provide flavor are stripped out.  For this reason, a fermentation of sugar would be rum if the distillate comes off the still at below 95% ABV.  If the distillate comes off the still over 95% ABV then it is vodka. The general rule of thumb is that the higher the percentage of ethanol, the more neutral the spirit.
    ​

  • The number of times distilled refers to how many times the distillate is passed through a particular distilleries still.  Given that each distillery has a different size still, this has no consistent meaning.  For example one pass through a pot still is different than one pass through a 30 foot, 20 plate column still.
Filtration
  • Vodka does not need to be filtered.  Vodka is already coming off the still at a very high proof, therefore it by definition has already removed most of the non-ethanol components.
  • Filtration is a matter of preference, and marketing material.  
    • Typically, if vodka is filtered, charcoal made from pine, birch, poplar or oak is used to “purify” the spirit.  
    • Paper filters are sometimes used. Their effectiveness is debatable, as though they are used as sediment filters in barrel aged products, there should be no sediment from the distillate or the water used for proofing unless the equipment was dirty.
    • Other unique materials including quartz or metals like gold are occasionally used.  Their effectiveness differs, due to the chemical composition and structure.  For example, if diamonds which are non-porous and non-reactive are used, then essentially nothing happens.

Regions and Styles

  • Regions often dictate style
    • Eastern European countries like Poland and Ukraine make robust flavorful vodka
    • Scandinavian Countries produce more neutral styles of vodka
    • Americans do a little bit of everything, however, most of the corn based vodka comes from the United States, and due to the desire of the American consumer for a “smooth” product for shot consumption, they tend to have less flavor.
    • Polish Vodka tends to be made from potatoes
    • French Vodka tends to use wheat



Vodka and Food Pairing

Furthermore from a cultural perspective, we would encourage exploration of pairing vodka from Europe with the foods they were traditionally paired with, and promote this cultural thought exchange, as food and beverage pairings in Europe are much bigger than pairing wine with food as found in France and Italy.

For a more modern take on menu execution with .5 oz tasters of vodka:
  • Russian Caviar or Vegetables with Sour Cream Dip - Russian Style Vodka
  • pickled herring (sill) with Swedish VodkaSweedish Gravlax with Scandinavian Vodka
  • Big Island Abalone with Hawaii Vodka
  • French vodka and bri (or french friends)
 

Reference
  • ​Vodka Distilled by Tony Abou-Ganim
  • A History of Vodka William Pkhlebkin

Vodka Available in Hawaii

Featured Brands

Product Reviews

Hawai’i Vodka

7/1/2018

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There are two reasons to bring in Hawaii made vodka: Supporting local businesses and providing vodka drinking guests with the flavors of Hawaii.  Given that vodka can be distilled from anything with sugar, Hawaii’s distillers have turned to the old cash crops of sugar and pineapple to create a terrior of Hawaii.  But isn’t sugarcane distillate rum? According to Island Distiller’s Dave Flintstone: “Rum has a different yeast, lower distillation proof, some heads and tails are included in distillate, and rum is rested much longer.”
​

In our tasting session, we approached each vodka straight, with water at room temperature, and with ice.  Water will open up flavors and ice will shut down flavors due to the coagulation of the fats. We also tried each vodka with POG in 3:1 ratio, as it provides a general pool-side bar cocktail approach or local-kine two ingredient drink.  We also did a tonic in a 3:1 ratio as well.
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Hawaii Vodka7/1/2018
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Hawai’i Vodka
A Hawaii Beverage Guide Category Overview

There are two reasons to bring in Hawaii made vodka: Supporting local businesses and providing vodka drinking guests with the flavors of Hawaii.  Given that vodka can be distilled from anything with sugar, Hawaii’s distillers have turned to the old cash crops of sugar and pineapple to create a terrior of Hawaii.  But isn’t sugarcane distillate rum? According to Island Distiller’s Dave Flintstone: “Rum has a different yeast, lower distillation proof, some heads and tails are included in distillate, and rum is rested much longer.”
In our tasting session, we approached each vodka straight, with water at room temperature, and with ice.  Water will open up flavors and ice will shut down flavors due to the coagulation of the fats. We also tried each vodka with POG in 3:1 ratio, as it provides a general pool-side bar cocktail approach or local-kine two ingredient drink.  We also did a tonic in a 3:1 ratio as well.


Island Distillers
https://www.islanddistillers.com/
Distillery Location: 577 Pakala St, Honolulu, HI 96825 (Open for Tours)
Distributor: Paradise Beverages

Owner and operator Dave Flintstone of Island Distillers is a blender at heart, and such is his approach to Hapa Vodka.  To make the base spirit, sugar cane grown on property is fermented and run through a custom micro continuous distillation still.  This instantly vaporizes the mash and automatically separates heads and tales. With this distillation technique, minimal heads and tails are produced, thus proving higher yields of end product.  Flintstone helped design the still with a Russian engineer who worked on fuel refineries and vodka in his spare time. The still was refined for the American palate, as Russians tend to like their vodka with a lot more bite.  Flintstone then blends a Brazilian spirit to proof with water, lets it rest, then blends it again with his local vodka distillate.


Flavored Vodka
Hapa Coconut Vodka is blended with an all natural water vapor concentrate of coconut essence from Thailand and Vietnam. Hapa Hibiscus Vodka is infusion of Hibiscus petals into vodka.  Raw sugar is added to both as a sweetener.

Hawaii Beverage Guide Commentary
We feel Island Distiller’s Hapa Vodka is more robust in flavor than Ocean Vodka and less robust than Pau. It’s bouquet is slightly astringent and clean. On the palate, Hapa has a silky mouthfeel with warming alcohol.  There is a faint top note of grass or sugarcane, with a slightly sweet lasting finish.


Hapa vodka’s neutral flavor provides a great base for the concentrated Hibiscus Vodka.  We believe the hibiscus would work well on a menu in Hawaii as it checks off a couple great buzzwords. Unless you plan on making hibiscus tea or doing your own infusion, this concentrate would also save time when building your cocktail ingredients list. 

Hapa Coconut, the brand’s top seller is basically concentrated coconut flavor that still tastes natural. Like the hibiscus, this vodka reads well on a menu, and can be more versatile than a coconut rum, as you don’t have to compete with the rum flavors.



Pau Vodka
https://paumaui.com/
Location: 883 Haliimaile Rd, Makawao, HI 96768  (Open for Tours)
Distributor: Young’s Market of Hawaii

Hali'imaile Distilling Company of the LeVecke’s Private Label Program makes Pau Vodka from Pineapple, specifically Maui Gold pineapples, as LeVecke recently acquired the company.  To produce the distillate, the pineapples are fermented and the mash is run through proprietary glass stills personally designed by Master Distiller Mark Nigbur. Nigbur has chosen to forgo use of traditional copper stills, as he believes copper can impart flavor during the distillation process.  This single distillation still is similar to that of a continuous still. As a “filter,” the column contains volcanic rock. After one pass, the spirit is at 96.5% alcohol before going through gravity filtration via activated carbon.

Hawaii Beverage Guide Approach
Pau has a slight nose of pineapple leaf. On the palate, it’s more astringent than the other two Hawaii Vodka’s we tried but still not harsh. On the rocks, the palate becomes noticeably softer as the fats coagulate and the astringency mellows.  It has a top note of bright pineapple and a medium finish that is slightly vegetal. Due to its robust flavor profile, we feel Pau would work well in fruit-heavy cocktails such as our POG - Pau cocktail. It should be noted that Pau’s retail price runs $5 to $10 less per bottle than Ocean Vodka or Hapa Vodka.


Ocean Vodka
https://oceanvodka.com
Location: 4051 Omaopio Rd. Kula, HI 96790 (Open for Tours)
Distributor: SGWS
 
OCEAN Organic Vodka is certified organic. It is distilled from organic sugar cane and blended with deep ocean mineral water.  The sugarcane is harvested on property, juiced, and fermented. The mash is then run through continuous column distillation in full size towers that each contain more than 100 platelets. 
Hawaii Beverage Guide Commentary
We feel Ocean Vodka is the most neutral of the vokas we tried.  It has a slight note of sugarcane on the nose. On the palate, it is particularly “smooth,” though its mouthfeel is slightly thin.  The mouthfeel does improve with ice, however we feel this also mutes Ocean Vodka flavors. It has very little astringency and is slightly sweet, with a short, clean finish.  This makes it reminiscent of a white Puerto Rican Rum, though more neutral.


We feel Ocean works well as a chilled vodka shot, in vodka soda, or in any other drink in which very subtle flavor and low astringency is desired. In the POG, the Ocean was too subtle for our liking, in that it almost disappeared altogether. We do recognize, however, that this is a desirable trait for some. ​
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