NUDE Vodka !  A hip, refreshing, smooth tasting, ultra premium Vodka perfectly suited for the more sensitive pallet of the new Vodka drinker. On the rocks, in a Martini, mixed with a splash of pomegranate, NUDE is the Vodka for a new generation.

The ultra-clean Cascade Mountain spring water and thorough filtration process gives NUDE its incredible smoothness. This combination of first-rate ingredients and hand-craftsmanship make NUDE Vodka a world-class masterpiece.

Quick Facts:

1. Five-times Filtered over Crushed Volcanic Lava Rock
2. Distilled with Pure Cascade Mountain Water
3. 100% Gluten Free (Made with corn)
4. Born in the U.S.A. (Bend, OR)

NUDE’s Stillmaster believes that vodka should be consumed like a fine wine, drunk pure as it is made. That is the foundation that NUDE Vodka™ lives by, our true ultra-premium vodka proves it!

For more information on NUDE Vodka visit http://www.nudevodka.us

 Thanks Russia: Russia is credited with giving vodka to the world and it is traditionally drank straight in an unmixed form there. Americans however, prefer that a liquor have a little more flavor in it in order for it to be consumed without a mixer. While traditionally vodka is derived from distilling fermented potatoes, today it is commonly made from a number of fermented starches or sugars including corn and sugar beets.

So Mixable: Some of the most popular drinks made with vodka include the White Russian, which is made from vodka, cream and coffee liquor. The Salty Dog, which is vodka and grapefruit juice in a tall glass rimmed with salt. Also, the Vodka Tonic, which is simply vodka mixed with tonic soda is quite tasty.

Measure it Carefully: When making vodka drinks, it is important that the vodka be measured carefully, as each drink is mixed. This is because the mouth acclimates to the taste of the vodka quite quickly, so if you are using your taste buds as a guage, you can easily end up with drinks that are far too strong.

Flavored Vodkas: Flavored vodkas have recently began appearing on the market and some of the most popular of these are the fruit flavored vodkas. Vodka can range in price quite dramatically, with cheap stuff going for as low as $4 a fifth and more expensive import brands costing as much as $40 a fifth. The truth is however, while cheap vodka can have an odd after taste, very few people can tell the difference between a popular mid-range $10 a fifth vodka and the best expensive imports. 

Allied Blenders & Distillers Pvt. Ltd. (ABD) have launched the 87-year-old leading German vodka brand ‘WODKA GORBATSCHOW’ in India. The roots of the brand go back to the czarist era in St. Petersburg. The Gorbatschow family left Russia during the October revolution in 1917 and refounded the Gorbatschow Company in 1921 in Berlin. Today WODKA GORBATSCHOW is Germany’s biggest vodka brand and also its third strongest spirits brand. It will soon be available in premium ranges at all leading licensed liquor stores in select Indian cities. Priced at Rs. 570 for a 750 ml bottle, the brand will be locally bottled at its Aurangabad plant in Maharashtra.

WODKA GORBATSCHOW is the result of the joint venture between ABD and Henkell & Sohnlein Sektkellereien KG Wiesbaden, Germany.

The brand ‘WODKA GORBATSCHOW’ is highly superior to the other Vodka brands available because of its special triple-chill filtration process. This unique filtration process conducted at -12°C, after which the vodka is painstakingly double-filtered over charcoal, makes the product extremely smooth and exceptionally pure. With its positioning of purity, ‘WODKA GORBATSCHOW’ has always stood for excellence and nothing less than the highest standards of quality.

From the clear glass of its bottle to the distinctive label, everything about WODKA GORBATSCHOW conveys the idea of Arctic purity. The bottle design is sophisticated yet traditional, signifying the swirling minarets of Moscow. The brand mark of the dove and the distinct brand colours of arctic blue, white and silver represent the purity and pristine clarity that the brand stands for.

Says Deepak Roy, Executive Vice-Chairman & CEO, ABD, “WODKA GORBATSCHOW is the first brand launch marking the ABD-Henkell alliance in India. The Indian market is dynamically poised for a highly evolved state, and there couldn’t have been a better choice of brand than WODKA GORBATSCHOW to serve the ever-increasing demand for pure and high quality vodka. We are confident that the product quality will speak for itself, having done so for decades.”

The international profile of the brand is particularly impressive. WODKA GORBATSCHOW is one of the top 15 premium vodkas in the world, and with 1.4 million cases sold it is a member of the “Club of Millionaires”. In 2006, WODKA GORBATSCHOW was awarded the Monde Sélection Gold Medal.

There are convincing reasons explaining WODKA GORBATSCHOW’s superior quality. It is solely produced from premium-processed products in a worldwide unique procedure, which finally results in an outstanding soft, clean and mild aroma-impression of the brand ‘WODKA GORBATSCHOW’.

“Having achieved immense success in Germany, there is indeed no better time for WODKA GARBATSCHOW to tap the expanding Indian market than now. This is based on the fact that the vodka category growth in India continues to outperform the total spirits market growth. With such a booming economy, Indian consumers are increasingly connected to global trends and looking for new experiences, thus offering WODKA GORBATSCHOW significant potential.” added Mr. Roy

Vodka is a crucial component in Russian life. And in Russian death. Alcohol-related accidents and cardiac arrests have already decimated Russian life expectancy by well over a decade during the last decade alone.

Vodka is also big business. The brand “Stolichnaya” sells $2 billion a year worldwide. Hence the interminable and inordinately bitter battle between the Russian ministry of agriculture and SPI Spirits. The latter, still partly owned by the state, is the on and off owner of the haloed brand “Stolichnaya”, James Bond’s favorite.

SPI’s PR firm, Burson-Marsteller, posits this commercial conflict as a classic case of the violation of the property rights of hapless foreign shareholders by the avaricious and ruthless functionaries of an unreformed evil empire. They question Russia’s readiness to accede to the WTO and its respect for the law.

SPI’s latest press release consists of the detailed history of this harrowing tale. The brand Stolichnaya, as well as 42 others, were privatized in 1992. The firm quotes a document, bearing the official seal of the maligned ministry, which states unambiguously: “VAO Sojuzplodoimport has the right to export Russian vodka to the USA under the following trademarks: Stolichnaya, Stolichnaya Cristall, Pertsovka, Limonnnaya, Privet, Privet Orange (Apelsinovaya), Russian and Okhotnichya.”

The privatization was completed in 1997 when the old SPI was sold to the new SPI Spirits. The new SPI claims to have assumed $40 million in debt and invested another $20 million to rebuild the company into “one of the world’s leading vodka producers”. Yet, the Russian government, as heavy handed as ever, clearly is unhappy with SPI.

It says the privatization deal was dubious and that SPI paid only $300,000 (or maybe as little as $61,000 claim other sources) for the multi-billion dollar brands, including “Stolichnaya”, “Moskovskaya”, and “Russkaya”. The government values the brands at a far more reasonable $400 million. Other appraisers came up with a figure of $1.4 billion.

The government, in a bout of new-found legal rectitude, also insists that the seller of the brands, the defunct (state-owned) SPI, was not their legal owner. It also questions the mysterious shareholders of the new SPI – including a holding company in tax-lenient Delaware. SPI’s trademarks portfolio is represented by an Australian law firm, Mallesons Stephen Jaques.

Putin himself set up a committee for the repatriation of these and other consumer brands to the state. He craves the beneficial effects the alcohol sector’s tax revenues could have on the federal budget – and on its powers of patronage. A central state-owned brand-holding and distribution company was set up less than two years ago. Ever since then, the alcohol sector has been subjected to relentless state interference. SPI is not the most egregious case either.

“The Observer” mentions that SPI currently runs most of its business from inscrutable Cyprus, a favorite destination for Russian money launderers, tycoon tax evaders, and mobsters. SPI’s German distributor, Plodimex, is increasingly less active – as three new off shore distribution entities (in Cyprus, the Dutch Antilles, and Gibraltar) are increasingly more so.

The FSB ordered Kaliningrad customs to prohibit bulk exports of Stolichnaya. Cases of the drink are routinely confiscated. Criminal charges were brought against directors and managers in the firm. The Deputy Minister of Agriculture is discrediting SPI in meetings with its distributors and business partners abroad. He is also accused by the firm of obstructing the court-mandated registration of its trademarks.

The courts have lately been good to SPI, coming out with a spate of decisions against the government’s conduct in this convoluted affair. But on February 1, the firm suffered a setback, when a Moscow court ruled against it and ordered 43 of its brands, the prized Stolichnaya included, returned to the government (i.e., re-nationalized).

SPI is doing its best to placate the authorities. It is rumored to have offered last month to use its ample funds to supplement the federal budget. It has indicated last September that it is on the prowl for additional acquisitions in Russia – a bizarre statement for a firm claiming to have been victimized. “The Moscow Times” reported that it is planning to sign a $500,000 sponsorship agreement with the Russian Olympic Committee.

Summit Communications, a country image specialist, placed this on its Web site in November 2001:

“One example of a savvy Russian company that has managed to do well in the West by finding the right partner is the Soyuzplodimport company (see also p. 14). Soyuzplodimport, or SPI, has the exclusive rights to export Stolichnaya, which vodka lovers in the U.S. fondly refer to as ‘Stoli’. Some 50% of the company’s export turnover comes from the United States, thanks mostly to its strategic alliance with Allied-Domecq for U.S. distribution.

‘I’m not sure that all Americans know where Russia is on the map, but most of them know what Stolichnaya is,’ muses Andrey Skurikhin, general director of SPI. ‘I want the quality of Stolichnaya in America to create an image of Russia that is pure, strong and honest, just like the vodka. At SPI, we feel that we are like ambassadors and we will try to do everything to create a more objective and positive image of Russia in the U.S.’”
SPI’s troubles may prove to be contagious. Allied Domecq, its British distributor in America and Mexico, now faces competition from Kryshtal International, a subsidiary of the troubled Kristal distillery, 51% owned by Rosspirtprom, a government agency. Kryshtal signed distribution contracts for “Stolichnaya” with distilleries backed by the Russian ministry of agriculture.

Allied and Miller Brewing have announced a $50 million investment in product launch and marketing campaigns only five years ago. “Stolichnaya” (nicknamed “Stoli” in the States) sells 1 million 12-bottle cases a year in the USA (compared to Absolut’s 3 million cases).

The trouble started almost immediately with the first foreign investments in SPI. As early as 1991, Vneshposyltorg, a government foreign trade agency,  tried to export Stolichnaya in Greece. This led to court action by the Greeks. Vodka wars also erupted between the newly-registered Russian firm “Smirnov” and Grand Metropolitan over the brand “Smirnoff”.
The vodka wars are sad reminders of the long way ahead of Russia. Its legal system is rickety – different courts upheld government decisions and SPI’s position almost simultaneously. Russia’s bureaucrats – even when right – are abusive, venal, and obstructive. Russia’s “entrepreneurs” are a penumbral lot, more enamored with off-shore tax havens than with proper management. The rule of law and private property rights are still fantasies. The WTO – and the respectability it lends – are as far as ever.

To most Westerners say the word Russia and two things pop into their heads, beautiful women and vodka.

This week Russia will still have beautiful women but wine will be the drink of choice as many people are celebrating Beaujolais Nouveau Day. Wine connoisseurs will be enjoying some of France’s best vintages in bars and establishments all across Moscow.

For the past 11 years Russia has participated in the annual event. In Moscow, the celebrations have been held exclusively in French restaurants and bars, but this year many other locations will host samplings of the French wine “Beaujolais Nouveau”.

Under the Soviets enjoying wine was discouraged. It was looked upon as something that only the upper class and aristocrats consumed. Recently, wine has begun to make a comeback in Russia. French wine is by far the favorite of Russian wine drinkers.

Beaujoalis Novuveau Day began as a way to promote the French wine industry and particularly the Beaujoalis region of France. Originally, the light red wine was just consumed locally but following World War II the rules were relaxed to allow the wine to be exported. Today, Beaujoalis Novuveau Day is celebrated in more than 120 nations.

To enjoy the full bounty of Beaujolais Nouveau, it  should be drunk soon after it is prepared. If not, the taste is spoiled and can not be fully enjoyed.

The next time you see a charming  Russian lady ask her if she raised a glass this year to celebrate Beaujoalis Novuveau Day.

Who knows,via the magic of wine, maybe next year you can toast the day together?

Online spirits sales unlike wine has been in a small decline in the last six months as people focus on spending their income wisely. There are though some interesting trends in online spirits sales which should not be ignored.

For the last five years the spirits industry and online spirits has been driven by the amazing growth of vodka, which has now overtaken whisk(e)yas the number one category. This growth has fuelled online spirits sales and driven retail pricing, but it has peaked. Six percent of all vodka online is flavoured vodka, and gin is, after all a flavoured vodka.

It is now surprise that the online vodka drinker is moving into gin, and the category is growing in a robust manner. Premium gin online is in the most growth at 9% with brands like Beefeater 24, Tanqueray No Ten, Hendrick’s, Brockman’s and a very new brand Sipsmith steaming ahead. All these great brands have one thing in common, small batch production, great bottle design, clever marketing and above all great tasting product.

Online spirits will bounce back into growth via the gin category and ironically it will be the online space where consumers discover these brands. Vodka online is suffering from the same problems the wine online merchants have with champagne sales, as the category has become too ostentatious and expensive. Sparkling wines such as Prosecco are replacing champagne online and gin is replacing vodka.

There is also another two online spirits categories which are pushing the industry out of decline. The first one is bourbon which is American whiskey, which must consist of at least 51% corn with the remainder being wheat and/or rye, and malted barley. Originally created out of Bourbon county. This great category has been in dynamic growth for 6 years lead by the daddy Mr Jack Daniel’s, but other brands like Wild Turkey, Buffalo Trace and Blanton’s are growing. Online bourbon sales have continued to be strong and certain key words are not cheap to buy because of their growth.

The second one is online gold rum with brands such as Havana Club, Matusalem, Pampero and Appleton’s and it is the cocktail industry that is driving this growth as well as a trend back to authentic spirits.

Online spirits will come back into growth and it will be authentic spirits that pull them through, but for gifts online or special occasions you cannot go far wrong with a spirit. Flavoured vodka online may not be dead but it is the old flavoured gin that will steal the show online. It is now surprise that the online vodka drinker is moving into gin, and the category is growing in a robust manner. Premium gin online is in the most growth at 9% with brands like Beefeater 24, Tanqueray No Ten, Hendrick’s, Brockman’s and a very new brand Sipsmith steaming ahead. All these great brands have one thing in common, small batch production, great bottle design, clever marketing and above all great tasting product.

This has made it by far the most successful spirit type in the UK, and it is now the highest-selling spirit both in terms of volume, and sales value. Almost three-quarters of all vodka sold in the UK is accounted for by off-sales, that is, sales from premises other than licensed pubs, bars and clubs.

Vodka was first produced in the UK in the 1960s, led by producers who had long experience of distilling other white spirits. They used their state-of-the-art equipment to produce vodka which was of a quality which could compete with many of the Russian-distilled products.

Many people old enough to remember this period will know of Vladivar – the ‘wodka from Varrington’ which was the subject of a massive TV advertising campaign, publicising the fact that it was made in the Cheshire town of Warrington by Greenall Whitley, at the time a major spirit distiller and brewer.

Many other vodkas are now distilled in the UK, under licence from their original manufacturers, and where it was once firmly an eastern European drink, it is now produced far and wide, including in Canada, the USA, Mexico, Finland and Poland.

A wide range of basic ingredients is used as fermentable material in the production of vodka, including potatoes, sugar beet molasses, wheat and rye. The last two of these are considered to produce the best quality vodkas.

Quality standards for vodka production were first laid down in Russia in 1894. Under European law, vodka is not permitted to have any distinctive aroma, colour, character or flavour, so most products made outside Russia undergo extensive filtering to eliminate these traits. Traditional Russian methods of vodka manufacture, however, use very precise distillation methods with a minimum amount of filtering in an effort to retain the product’s unique flavours.

In recent years, a strong trend has emerged towards flavoured vodkas. Honey and pepper are especially popular in Russia, but elsewhere in Europe, including the UK, many fruits – including raspberry, lime, lemon, blackcurrant and apple – are successfully blended with the clear spirit to produce a drink with a wider appeal than the unadulterated product.

All this means that, if you are looking to buy vodka online, you have plenty of choice, and there are lots of types available to tempt you, whatever your tastes.

As vodka sales continue on their upward path in the UK, there is every reason to believe that the world’s more enterprising producers will want to market their wares here. And that can only be good news for the new generation of drinkers with spirit!

If you are looking to buy vodka then the internet is the best place to find it where you can also buy beer online too.

You may be familiar with Absolut and Smirnoff since they are the top-selling brands of vodka worldwide. But do you know the best selling vodkas in Russia? With a multi-billion dollar vodka industry, Russians have thousands of brands to choose from. The Top 5 best sellers are a mix of affordability and high quality.

#1 – Green Label

Also known as Green Mark, this traditional vodka is named after the green quality seal that early Soviet government agencies would stamp on bottles after rigorous purity tests. The recipe includes a special high quality wheat, naturally farmed yeasts, and water drawn from reserves that has been filtered, purified, and softened for thousands of years.

#2 – Putinka  

Since the Russian vodka market is highly competitive, makers need a unique brand and tons of marketing to ensure success. That’s exactly what Vinexim, owner of this brand, locked on to with Putinka, an affectionate take on former president and current prime minister Vladimir Putin’s last name. Fans of the brand say it’s mild in flavor and very smooth. Many millions of advertising dollars have been spent by the company and one promotional campaign claims that it’s actually good for relaxing and overcoming fatigue.

#3 – Five Lakes

Known as the best vodka in Siberia, Five Lakes claims to be as mild as the pure water of the Omsk Oblast lakes with a unique composition containing actual Siberian water and the purest grain alcohol. There is also a special mineral complex as one of the ingredients which is said to neutralize the negative effects of the alcohol on the body. The name is based on the Omsk legend of when 5 large meteorite fragments crashed into the region thousands of years ago, making round holes which were filled with living water, thus creating five lakes.

#4 – Soyuz-Victan Natural Harmony Vodkas

When this classic Russian vodka company introduced uniquely flavored brands, drinkers became fast fans of the natural ingredients and organic taste. There are several flavors of Natural Harmony vodkas such as Honey with Pepper, Nettle Leaves, and Lime Blossom vodka. However, the most popular brand is Soyuz-Victan Birch Buds which is infused with birch buds and herbs, St. John’s wort, and caraway. These natural plants and herbs provide smoothness and a pleasant herbal aroma.

#5 – Parliament

Russian field grown rye is this vodka’s main ingredient, enriched with soft spring water from the 250 meter deep spring located at the production plant. The company, Urozhay, claims to use the most modern technologies for vodka production. Parliament is processed with natural salts and purified with milk. A special coagulation technique absorbs all the impurities and harmful substances, then the milk is removed in a multi-stage filtration process, leaving a pure vodka of high quality.

The list of most popular vodkas changes each year with so many new brands being introduced all the time. You may find them in your local liquor store, but more likely will have to purchase them online, or wait to share a bottle with your favorite Russian lady during your next trip to Russia or Ukraine. 

Getting Started

Infusing is pretty simple process and has been used by distillers for centuries. It is the simple practice of steeping or macerating a flavor into a neutral spirit and letting it sit for a period of time. The time it takes for the spirit to absorb the that flavors is all determined on the product and the environmental factors.A good rule to go by when infusing is to start with your oil based flavors such as citrus, chillies and similar fruits and vegetables. Using more succulent fruits such as strawberries could result in a mushy mess without careful supervision.

Article provide by www.cocktailsandwines.com Phase One Ingredients:

While vodka is the popular base to infusions, you can add flavor to any spirit. Stronger oil based ingredients can infuse in a shorter amount of time, sometinemes under a week, whereas softer more fibrous ingredients can take more than a week.

Infusion jare:

Tall or round glasss jars with tightly fitting lids, preferable complete with pouring spouts are the only initial outlay required for your new in house vodka infusion center.

Choosing your flavor The choice of flavors is all based on your imagination, why not try orange infused tequila or maybe a fig and cinnamon infused bourbon. Mellow flavors include cantaloupe, peach, strawberry, cherry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, pineapple, mango, and vanilla beans. Lemon, lime or grapefruit flavors offer a sharper bite to the palate. Time to Infuse Everything should be washed thoroughly including fruit vegetables to ensure they are free of pesticides and any impurities that might contaminate the final product. Berries such as blueberries, raspberries and blackberries should be left whole while more fibrous fruitsl such as mango and pineapple should be chopped into small chunks. Citrus fruits and strawberries should be sliced thin. More obscure flavors such as vanilla beans and chillies should be sliced lengthways and herbs left on their stem.

When slicing up your ingredients keep in mind the vessel you will be placing them in . Is it a glass jar that will be on display on the back bar or will it be hidden away. Presentation is everything when infusing your latest creation in public.

The glass jar should be filled with the infusion ingredients and the remaining with your base spirit. Tighten the lid securely over the jar and place in the refrigerator or at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.

Infusion times will vary. Taste every few days to obtain the flavors that you are aiming. for. If you want to deepen the flavor and start foraying into liqueurs, add a little sugar and stir it in to dissolve.

How to infuse vodka with cherry

Purchase your vodka. This recipe calls for a 750-ml bottle of vodka, so if you use a larger bottle, be sure to add more cherries during the infusion process.

Choose 4 pints of cherries. The best cherry-infused vodka is made with real, in-season cherries. In the United States, cherries are typically picked from May until August, with the peak season in June. If you are unable to buy your cherries from a farm, you can buy them in the grocery store at the same time for similarly delicious results.

Find a reusealable glass container in which to infuse your vodka. A wide-mouthed container, such as a jar for canning fruit, will work well. Whichever container you choose, make sure you have enough room to stir the mixture thoroughly.

Prepare your mixture. First, remove the stems and pits from the cherries. Pour the bottle of vodka and cherries into the container and mix. Allow the mixture to sit in a warm, dry place for several days. Stir the mixture three times a day.

Test your vodka after 2 days in the jar to get a feel for how much longer it needs to completely infuse. The best way to test the vodka is straight, without any mixers.

Pour the mixture through a coffee strainer to remove the cherries and serve your vodka. If you want to serve your cherry vodka in a mixed drink, visit Drinks Mixer for a few recipe ideas (see Resources below). If the cherries you used to infuse the vodka with still taste good, use them as drink garnishes.

Tips & Warnings Make sure to choose a quality vodka like Skyy or Belvedere so you create the smoothest infused vodka possible. If you only have a cheaper vodka available, run it through a Brita water filter first to remove some of the impurities. Some of the best cherries to make infused vodka with are Rainiers, Bings and yellow-red Royal Anns. Don’t let air into your cherry vodka infusion except for when you’re testing it. Extra air will hamper the infusion process.

for more  & details check us out @ www.cocktailsandwines.com/360bev.infuseownspirit.htm

“Vodka constitutes the largest segment of the U.S. liquor market, and high-end vodka continues to grow at a blistering pace,” said Rudy N. Vogel, chief executive officer and founder of New York-based TransBorder Marketing Inc., the company that created DIAKA.

Vogel says the vodka’s special filtration process will entice consumers to try DIAKA and ultimately keep them coming back for more.

This patented “Double Diamond Filtration Process” uses nearly 100 diamonds up to 1 carat in size. The diamonds are housed in a large glass tube into which the vodka flows. Through centrifugal force, the diamonds swirl through the tube and actually “cut” the molecules of the vodka.

The vodka then passes through the bottom of the tube, wherein lies a comb filter encased with tiny diamond chips. This two-step process enhances the smoothness, clarity and palate of the vodka, yielding an end-product that so far is unavailable anywhere else in the world, according to Vogel.

“We are poised to take the ultra premium vodka category to a new level of taste and sophistication,” Vogel said.