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.

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“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.

Vodka is considered to be one of the more potent alcoholic drinks that you can get. This drink is made from various grains and distilled until the smooth flavor and strength has been achieved. Vodka by itself is considered as an inert drink. This means that unlike other drinks Vodka drinks can be mixed with other alcohols to produce great tasting mixed drinks.

As Vodka drinks have an alcohol strength that varies from 35% to 70% alcohol you will need to choose the Vodka that you want. Once you have added Vodka or Vodka drinks to other alcoholic drinks you will find that the Vodka drinks have inherited the taste and characteristics of that drink. It is for this reason that many bartenders like to have different types of Vodka in the bartending arsenal.

With the usual Vodka you will also find other Vodka drinks. These may sometimes be flavored. The flavoring that is within these Vodka drinks makes them an interesting addition to the other drinks that have been mixed with the Vodka drinks. Each of these Vodka drinks share the chameleon type of nature that normal Vodka has. This means that when the Vodka drinks have been added to another drink the entire drink undergoes a dramatic change.

Now while you can have Vodka drinks that have been mixed with other drinks it is also possible to drink Vodka with plain soda water and some type of sweetener. There are various other types of interesting flavors that can be found in Vodka drinks. These are produced in many different countries. As a result of this you can get cherry flavor, mint flavor, chocolate flavors and many others.

Since there is a resurgence in Vodka drinks bartenders are always on the look out for new ways to make these drinks taste different from the earlier ones on the market. As a result of this sometimes you will be confronted by brand new Vodka drinks and this means that you may end up drinking something completely new. You might like the taste that you can get from these Vodka drink variations and at other times you will wish that you hadn’t touched the glass.

What all of this means to the Vodka drinks lover is that there are many different ways that they can get their favorite drink. This variety also gives the creative bartender a chance to see what new drinks they can create with the different Vodka drinks that are currently available in the world. So bottoms up and enjoy your new favorite!

Vodka is the surprise package of the 20th Century. From an unknown Russian drink to the most widely used cocktail drink, it has been quite a journey.

History Of Vodka

The exact history of vodka is not known. However, it has its origins in a grain growing region around what we know today as Poland, Western Russia and Ukraine. The word ‘vodka’ is derived from the Russian word ‘voda’, which means water. Experts believe that the first record of vodka was found somewhere around the 9th Century. However, the first known distillery is around 200 years after that, around the 11th Century, in Khylnovsk, Russia.

The early process of distillation of vodka was crude. Due to the limitations in technology of the period, many impurities would remain behind and cause an unpleasant and unwanted taste. The early distillers would mask this by adding flavours to the vodka: The most common among them being absinthe, anisette, juniper, mint, pepper and peppermint.

The Bolshevik Revolution, banned all private distilleries in Russia. Many of the master distillers fled from the country: One of them being the son of Master Distiller Smirnov. Vladimir Smirnov fled to France to setup his distillery. Here he made contact with an American businessman and created the Smirnoff (the French version of his family name) brand. Vodka was publicized as a ‘white whiskey’ that left you ‘breathless’ (it did not leave one with an alcohol breath). But, vodka found its place only in the 1950s and ‘swinging 60s’. The affluent youth and numerous cocktails, for which vodka’s odourless and tasteless characteristics make it a perfect component, led to the Vodka revolution. And Vodka surpassed Bourbon (American whiskey) as the largest selling hard liquor.

Production Of Vodka

Vodka has traditionally been prepared with the cheapest grain available at hand. Vodka is mainly made from starch. However certain Polish vodkas are based on potato. Even molasses is used sometimes. Vodka is basically pure alcohol (ethanol) and water. It is extremely similar to whiskey. Both are produced from fermented mash. However, Vodka is distilled off at a very high proof. Thus, by distilling vodka off at 190 proof, most of the flavour is lost and almost only alcohol and water are left behind. Thus, the best vodka is tasteless, colourless and odourless.

Brands

Some of the most popular and good quality vodka brands are Smirnoff, Grey Goose and Absolut. However, blind tastes often confirm, that most of us cannot discern between the different brands of vodka. This is natural and desired, as vodka is supposed to be tasteless as well as odourless. Hence, the brand of vodka, is a personal preference. It is suggested to use any ‘house’ brand while using vodka in mixed drinks.

Vodkas also come in a variety of flavours. Brands like Absolut and Smirnoff have an arsenal of flavoured vodkas. Some of the popular flavours include raspberry, citrus, orange, vanilla and pepper.

History of Vodka and Why Vodka was Made

Vodka, according to Russian lore, translates to “little water” and was used as an anesthetic and disinfectant in the 12 century. It originally was made from Rye but as time passed, wheat, barley and then corn became the preferred refining ingredient.
In the 14th century, Russians came to believe that Vodka retained a divine spirit due to its intoxicating effect. It was cheap to produce so was distributed and carried around in gallon-sized jugs at religious ceremonies. It seems most churchgoers drank from these jugs because to reject the offering of a drink would be tantamount to sacrilege.
As time passed into the 16th and 17th centuries, vodka spread its influence from the church to the banquet table where meals typically began with bread and vodka. Not wanting to be left behind, lower class peasants figured a way to make their own cheap version of vodka by refining potatoes. Now everyone could afford to drink and that, they did. The whole country indulged without limit.
World War I temporarily crashed the party because soldiers marching into battle were expected to be sober so government officials attempted to suppress vodka consumption. It didn’t work. Nor did their attempts in the 1920’s to institute sobering educational programs. Then, Stalin came along and completely reversed protocol by ordering a re-expansion of vodka production so he could fund Russia’s defense.

Smirnoff Introduces Vodka to the United States

Vodka was introduced to the United States in the 1930’s by the Smirnoff Company in the form of gold vodka. Gold vodka was vodka aged ten (10) years in oak casks.
Piotr Smirnov founded Smirnoff vodka in Moscow in the 1860’s. During the October Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks confiscated his distillery and he was forced to flee. He fled to Istanbul where he re-established the brand then on to Lwow where he took on the French spelling of his Russian name: Smirnoff.
In 1934 and still in the midst of the Great Depression, Vladimir Smirnov, son of Piotr Smirnov, was forced to sell the company to an American, Rudolph Kunet (Kunet was a Russian Émigré), who subsequently moved the company to the United States. Kunet then sold the company to Heublein who then sold to the French conglomerate Diageo. Diageo also owns Guiness, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, J&B, Seagram 7 Crown, VO, Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Bushmills, Lagavulin, and many more.

Vodka Sales Soar in the United States

Smirnoff made giant leaps into the alcohol consumption market by paying to have James Bond drink only vodka martinis in his movies, beginning with Dr. No. In Ian Fleming’s novels, Bond drinks unbranded vodka.

Source: www.martinimuse.com

Americana Luxury Vodka – Colts Neck, New Jersey Americana Luxury Vodka is an unflavored grain vodka that is quadruple distilled with water sourced at 300 feet below sea level. The grains included in Americana are wheat, barley, rye and corn. It is charcoal filtered seven times with a carbon block filter that is capable of filtering even tobacco smoke. Americana Luxury Vodka is distilled at a family distillery in Colts Neck, New Jersey at the Laird and Company Plant. It is the nation’s oldest distillery. You’ll notice the nod to American craftsmanship on the bottle whose main body is clear (signifying white) with tints of read and blue surrounding the corners. Americana received a “91, Exceptional, Gold Medal Rating” from the Beverage Testing Institute as well as a “Bronze Medal” and “People’s Choice for Package of the Year” by the National Association of Contributors and “Package of the Year Award” by All Pak, Inc. Americana Luxury Vodka was introduced in the Fall of 2007. Dan Marino, Hall of Fame and retired Miami Dolphins quarterback is an investor.

1.O-N Vodka – Oregon Organic Nation Vodka is a premium organic vodka distilled from rye and grown in Etna, California. The finished product is an organic blend of rye (for sweetness), wheat and corn. O-N Vodka is produced organically: no pesticides, no fertilizers, ionizing radiation, non-potable water runoff, etc. Interesting, the label is produced on recycled paper and the label glue is not toxic.
2.Belvedere Vodka – Poland Premium vodka distilled from rye
3.Chopin Vodka – Poland Luxury vodka distilled from potatoes, named after Polish composer Frederic Chopin. Seven (7) pounds of potatoes are used to make just one (1) bottle.
4.VeeV Liqueur – South America Luxury vodka substitute made from organic Acai berries
5.Stolichnaya Vodka – Russia Distilled from winter wheat in Russia’s oldest distillery using pure glacial waters. Herbal and pine bouquet
6.Bak’s Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka – Poland Distilled from potatoes and artesian well water with a hint of bison grass
7.Absolut Vodka – Sweden Distilled from winter wheat
8.Finlandia Vodka – Finland Distilled from barley and glacier water, silky texture, medium weight body, a bit harsh yet warm and provides a smooth finish
9.Grey Goose Vodka – France Quality vodka distilled from French wheat with impeccable clarity and supple medium weight body. Crisp, clean and smooth finish.
10.Hangar One Vodka – Alameda, CaliforniaPot-distilled from quality viognier grapes then blended into column still mid-western wheat vodka at the Alameda Naval Air Station. Soft, aromatic and smooth.
11.Ketel One Dutch Vodka – Netherlands Distilled from pure wheat in an alembic copper pot, a method reserved for fine scotches and cognacs. Citrus and toasted cereal aromas. Sweet and spicy flavor first ftaste.
12.Luksusowa Potato Vodka (lux-sus-ova) – Poland Distilled from potatoes with hint of herbs and caramel
13.Cristall Vodka – Russia Distilled from winter wheat and glacial waters with hints of chocolate and vanilla
14.Original Polish Vodka – Poland Distilled from rye, crystal clear with lightweight, satiny smooth body with a caramel bouquet.
15.Pearl Vodka – Western Canada Distilled from wheat, is brisk and refreshing with soft creamy aromas
16.Purus Vodka – Italy Luxury vodka distilled from organic Italian wheat
17.Rain Vodka – Kentucky Distilled from yeast and organically grown corn with hint of fruit and toffee
18.Van Hoo Vodka – Belgium Distilled from grain and spring water. Bouquet of citrus cocoa and grain. Taste of quinine and lemon.
19.Van Gogh Vodka – Netherlands Distilled using mostly wheat, some barley and corn in a copper potstill for extra smoothness. Citrus taste, silky texture.
20.Vox Vodka – Netherlands Distilled from wheat said to have a weightless body and clean palate (taste)
21.360 Vodka – United States Luxury vodka distilled from grain

Source: www.martinimuse.com

Vodka in Sweden

Vodka production in Sweden, which dates from the 15th century, has its origins in the local gunpowder industry where high-proof spirit (originally called brännvin) was used as a component of black powder for muskets. When distilleries were licensed to produce beverage alcohol (primarily spice-flavored Aquavit, but also Vodka), it was with the understanding that gunpowder makers had first priority over beverage consumers.
Home distilling was long a part of Swedish society. In 1830 there were over 175,000 registered stills in a country of less than three million people. This tradition, in a much diminished and illegal form, still continues to this day. Modern Swedish Vodka is produced by the Vin & Sprit state monopoly.

Vodka in the United States

Vodka was first imported into the United States in commercial quantities around the turn of the 20th century. Its primary market was immigrants from Eastern Europe. After the repeal of National Prohibition in 1933, the Heublein Company bought the rights to the Smirnoff brand of Vodka from its White Russian émigré owners and relaunched Vodka into the U.S. market. Sales languished until an enterprising liquor salesman in South Carolina started promoting it as “Smirnoff White Whisky — No taste. No smell.” Sales started to increase and American Vodka, after marking time during World War II, was on its way to marketing success.

The first popular Vodka-based cocktail was a combination of Vodka and ginger ale called the Moscow Mule. It was marketed with its own special copper mug, examples of which can still be found in the back shelves of liquor cabinets and flea markets of America.
Today Vodka is the dominant white spirit in the United States, helped along by its versatility as a mixer and some very clever advertising campaigns from the various producers. One of the most famous of these was the classic double entendre tag line: “Smirnoff — It leaves you breathless.”

Source: Tastings.com

Vodka in Poland

The earliest written records of Vodka production in Poland date from the 1400s, though some Polish historians claim that it was being produced around the southern city of Krakow at least a century earlier. Originally known as okowita (from the Latin aqua vita —water of life), it was used for a variety of purposes besides beverages. A 1534 medical text defined an aftershave lotion as being “Vodka for washing the chin after shaving.” Herbal-infused Vodkas were particularly popular as liniments for the aches and pains of life.
In 1546 King Jan Olbracht of Poland granted the right to distill and sell spirits to every adult citizen. The Polish aristocracy, taking a cue from their Russian peers, soon lobbied to have this privilege revoked and replaced by a royal decree that reserved the right to make Vodka exclusively to them.
Commercial Vodka distilleries were well established by the 18th century. By the mid-19th century a thriving export trade had developed, with Polish Vodkas, particularly those infused with small quantities of fruit spirit, being shipped throughout northern Europe and even into Russia.
With the fall of Communism in the late 1980s, the Vodka distilleries soon returned to private ownership. Nowadays high-quality Polish Vodkas are exported throughout the world.

Source: Tastings.com

Vodka in Russia

Russians firmly believe that Vodka was created in their land. Commercial production was established by the 14th century. In 1540 Czar Ivan the Terrible took a break from beheading his enemies and established the first government Vodka monopoly. Distilling licenses were handled out to the boyars (the nobility) and all other distilleries were banned. Needless to say, moonshining became endemic.
Vodka production became an integral part of Russian society. Aristocratic landowners operated stills on their estates and produced high-quality Vodkas which were frequently flavored with everything from acorns to horseradish to mint. The Czars maintained test distilleries at their country palaces where the first experiments in multiple redistillations were made. In 1780 a scientist at one such distillery invented the use of charcoal filtration to purify Vodka.
By the 18th and well into the 19th century the Russian Vodka industry was probably the most technologically advanced industry in the nation. New types of stills and production techniques from Western Europe were eagerly imported and utilized. State funding and control of Vodka research continued. Under a 1902 law, “Moscow Vodka,” a clear 40% ABV rye Vodka made with soft “living” (undistilled) water and without added flavorings was established as the benchmark for Russian Vodka.
The Soviet Union continued government control of Vodka production. All distilleries became government-owned, and while the Communist Party apparatchiks continued to enjoy high-quality rye Vodka, the proletariat masses had to make do with cheap spirits. The societal attitude toward such products could be best summed up by the curious fact that mass-produced Vodka was sold in liter bottles with a non-screw cap. Once you opened the bottle it couldnt be resealed. You had to drink it all in one session.
Vodka production in the current Russian Federation has returned to the pre-Revolutionary pattern. High-quality brands are once again being produced for the new social elite and export, while the popularly priced brands are still being consumed, well, like voda.

Source: Tastings.com