Over the past few years, as premium vodkas have come into vogue, I've heard more and more about the taste of vodka. Suddenly, reviews have been overflowing with comments like "a nice, caramel finish," "a buttery nose," and "an insouciant grin underlying pearly orange tones." Okay, I made the last one up, but am I the only one who sometimes wonders if professional liquor tasters have been dropping acid?At any rate, the irony of this is that the ideal vodka shouldn't have any flavor at all. In fact, I'd argue that the ultimate mark of a good vodka is that you can pull it out of the freezer, pour yourself a shot, and taste absolutely nothing except for the quick death of a few thousand brain cells. This, by the way, is why a traditional vodka tasting often has savory items like caviar, blini, fresh dill, and preserved herring. Since it doesn't impart flavor, vodka makes a good, inoffensive base for other flavors.
While most of the top vodkas on the market cost upwards of $30, there are a few classic and lesser-known vodkas that offer premium quality and (lack of) flavor for very reasonable prices. For example, Svedka is a first-rate, mild-flavored vodka from Sweden. Like Absolut, it has an great ad campaign; unlike Absolut, however, it is a very tasty, very reasonably priced vodka.
Given that it is the most popular vodka in the world, Smirnoff hardly qualifies as a lesser-known tipple. Still, at $14 for a fifth, it is quite cheap, yet it has a clean, pleasant flavor and is a first-rate mixer. Best of all, it was James Bond's spirit of choice, a fact that the company has used for promotional purposes for over forty years.
While these plebian vodkas are great for most purposes, they come up a little short when a vodka snob comes to visit. For that reason, it's not a bad idea to have a bottle of Luksusowa lying around. A smooth, triple-distilled Polish potato vodka with a great flavor and a proud heritage, Luksusowa should be clean enough to silence even your most obnoxious premium vodka snob. Best of all, it costs about $10 a fifth and, while not as nice as Chopin, is a credible vodka that you should feel perfectly comfortable serving. If one of your guests asks for Absolut, throw him out!
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