Glas Act

Improved relations between the Soviets and the Americans give George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev ample reason to toast peace and good will this holiday season. And what better spirit for such a toast than vodka? Its origin is in eastern Europe, but its popularity is now global. In fact, the thirst for and production of vodka have become so widespread that many world leaders can salute their counterparts with vodkas made in their own countries. Premium imported and domestic vodkas are more varied in their types, styles and tastes than ever before and have replaced vodka's image as merely the alcohol in a screwdriver or a bloody mary.

Packaged in stunning molded-glass bottles and backed by advertising campaigns that emphasize the glorious traditions of fine vodka making, these top vodkas (some of which didn't even exist until the (continued on page 220)Glas Act(continued from page 116) American market opened up) have made enormous headway in the United States. Although over-all liquor sales here have declined about 24 percent since 1979, sales of imported vodkas have shot up significantly.

The origin of vodka is still a matter of dispute between Russians and Poles, who have argued heatedly for centuries over which of their countries deserves credit. The word itself comes from a Russian diminutive for voda, which means water. But voda has been applied to a whole range of spirits, including those made from wine grapes, since the 14th Century.

In Poland, the word woda first appeared in print in the 16th Century, but many believe it originated much earlier. What Americans know as vodka is what the Poles call "clear vodka," which makes up 40 percent of that country's production. Clear vodka seems to have been derived from experiments conducted in 1810 by a St. Petersburg chemist named Andrey Albanov, who discovered that charcoal absorbs impurities. Pëtr Smirnoff applied Albanov's technique to vodka making some eight years later, and ultimately, the Smirnoff formula was brought to this country in 1934.

Today, only the finest vodkas from around the world are exported to the United States. The variety, however, can be staggering. The Russian Tea Room in New York City stocks more than 30 imported vodkas to go with its eastern European cuisine. With perestroika a fact of economic life, an even greater number of interesting vodkas should be arriving from Eastern Bloc countries.

Just what is it that makes one premium vodka different from another? To begin with, vodka is made from a wide variety of distillates, including potatoes, wheat, corn, rye and other grains. Like any other spirit, vodka is made from a fermented mash that is distilled into alcohol. To drive out most of the impurities (and much of the flavor), it is distilled at a very high proof and is further purified by filtration, usually through charcoal. The result is a colorless spirit that's 80 to 100 proof.

Like gin, which gets its name and distinct flavor from juniper berries, vodka can be flavored by the addition of aromatics such as citrus peels, peppercorns and sweeteners. While inexpensive vodkas taste bland, premium brands have velvety textures that send bursts of glowing heat down the throat. Some are elegant and quite subtle; others have power and a range of flavors.

Other elements that distinguish one vodka from another include the quality of the ingredients used, the purity of the water and the distinctive properties of the rocks used in the filtration process. Whatever the production method, premium vodkas have three important things in common—they are pure, crisp and consistent.

In 1972, PepsiCo opened the market for imported premium vodkas by striking a trade agreement with the Soviet Union to exchange Pepsi for the exclusive rights to import and distribute Russian vodka in the U.S. Consequently, the only spirits exported from Russia permitted to carry the vodka label are Stolichnaya and Priviet.

"Stoli" is made from wheat and the unpolluted glacial waters of Lake Ladoga. Alter distillation, it is filtered through quartz and activated charcoal, giving it a classic vodka taste. Stolichnaya's premium brand, Cristall. is made from an even higher grade of Wheat and is produced via a more complicated process. As a result, it is available only in limited quantities in the U.S.

Stolichnaya also makes several flavored vodkas. Pertsovka, flavored with chili peppers, goes nicely with a bowl of borscht. The lemon-flavored Limonnaya is delicious with delicate dishes such as smoked salmon. And Okhotnichya, flavored with mountain grass and wild-heather honey, is excellent as an after-dinner drink.

Priviet, the newest premium brand from Russia, currently is sold in major U.S. markets. Made from winter wheat and purified glacial waters, it's a great mixer and is tasty straight up.

Another interesting offering from Russia, Tarkhuna, may only be labeled a grain spirit in America because of PepsiCo's agreement with the Russians. This premium brand is flavored with tarkhuna grass, which gives the spirit a slightly grassy flavor and a brilliant emerald color.

Poland recently opened its famous Wyborowa (Vee-ba-ro-va) distilleries to the public. There, an extraordinary range of spirits, all labeled vodka, are made from a variety of distillates, including potatoes, wheat, rye, grapes and sugar cane.

Its Wyborowa brand, which means "the choicest," is made from 100 percent select rye grain and water from artesian wells and is triple-distilled to remove all impurities. It has a warm, exquisite and sophisticated flavor that ripples across the palate and down the throat, a true connoisseur's vodka.

Another Eastern Bloc entry in the premium-vodka market is Hungaria Diamond. Made from the "centuries-old family recipe" of the Kajari family on Lake Balaton, this new brand is triple-filtered through diamonds, which are said to give it amazing purity.

The vodka that has to be credited with kicking off the thirst for imported premiums in America is Sweden's Absolut. Through a series of clever advertisements (including an Absolut Playboy centerfold complete with Data Sheet), Absolut established itself as the vodka of choice for trendies and traditionalists alike. Sold in both 80- and 100-proof varieties, Absolut is a mellow vodka with an enticing aroma. It's perfect in a dry martini or served ice cold. (Delicious, lemon-flavored Absolut Citron vodka and spicy, pepper-flavored Absolut Peppar are also available.)

Iceland's Elduris, meaning "fire and ice," is similar to Absolut in its lush. round flavor, making it a superb match for caviar on buttered toast. Another Icelandic vodka, ICY, owes its purity to the crystal-clear glacial waters of Reykjavík, reputed to be among the cleanest in the world.

Its triangular bottle makes Denaka, from Denmark, easy to spot. Aside from having a clean taste, Denaka leaves a lovely balance of heat and sweet lingering on your palate.

No one need guess where Finlandia hails from, but this is a distinctive, beautifully balanced vodka, particularly well suited to seafood and caviar, with its acute dryness and long, lingering aftertaste reminiscent of the flavor of anise.

Other non-Nordic, non-Slavic nations have hopped aboard the vodka band wagon with some excellent new brands. Possibly the finest of them is Tanqueray Sterling from Great Britain. This grain vodka is distilled twice over granite chips. After the second distillation, it is filtered on a third bed of granite chips before artesian well water is added.

The American-made Smirnoff Silver Private Reserve also is a good choice. It is Smirnoff's top-of-the-line vodka, made according to the company's original formula.

Even the Japanese are vying for a share of the market. Suntory produces both 80- and 100-proof vodkas that are smooth, clean and refined and packaged in a distinctive square bottle.

Regardless of brand, any vodka of this caliber is best appreciated in its most pristine form. Tradition holds that it be chilled and served neat in small glasses that resemble shooters.

Another way to serve vodka is to place a bottle or decanter of the spirit in a bucket of water and then freeze the water around it. Remove the bucket from the freezer and warm the sides to release the ice-bound decanter. Then pour with flair into chilled vodka glasses.

In eastern Europe, vodka is traditionally downed in a single gulp; but here in the United States, premium vodka has become a drink to savor and sip by the fireplace over verses by Pushkin: "How hotly burns a kiss in frosty weather! How fresh a Russian girl is in the powder of the snow!" Read on! Drink up!