Favorite Vodkas?

[hopkins_student]

I've been drinking Level lately, it's not so bad. It came highly recommended. Not as smooth as the Grey Goose I've had, but I've only had it in Vodka and Tonics. I'm soon going to get my hands on some Charodei, I'm expecting it to spoil me.

 

[drizzt3117]

I think you'll really like Charodei, it is smooth yet flavorful, could be my favorite vodka ever, although Red Army has such a nice punch to it.

 

[globetrotter]

I am going to be in Moscow next week- any recomendations of specific Russian vodkas to bring back?

 

[drizzt3117]

Georgievskaya, Jewel of Russia Ultra, Old Kiev, Kutskova, Moroz, Pshenychnaya, Charodei, Cristall, the list goes on, you can probably find some gems there that aren't widely known in the US as well.

 

[globetrotter]

cristal is the one I usually have brought back, I think Chorodai too, the bottle looks familiar but I don't remember the name. I've brought a few other nice ones back, but I can't remember their names. a few years ago there was a fad for "kosher" vodka in russia- the russians were convinced that if it were kosher it would be more pure, so I had several bottles that were named after jewish holidays, but that was just a local marketing ploy they were al bottled by the same company.

 

[JFK]

It used to be Ketel One, Grey Goose, or Belvedere; now it's Hangar One. By far. And if you're interested in infused vodkas, look no further; this guy does the most amazing stuff with the most unusual fruits. You can buy some online at  http://www.caddellwilliams.com/hangarvodka_main.html (And no, I don't have any financial interest in Hangar One; I just think the guy that makes it puts out an amazing product.)

 

[ken]

Try cutting up a few fresh, raw, peeled horse radish slices and letting them sit in a bottle of vodka for a couple days. Then drink it straight, no ice. Delicious (-ly intoxicating).

 

[j]

Try cutting up a few fresh, raw, peeled horse radish slices and letting them sit in a bottle of vodka for a couple days. Then drink it straight, no ice. Delicious (-ly intoxicating).

That's making my sinuses open up just thinking about it. Mmmm.. prime rib... and vodka...

 

[globetrotter]

in Russia one very common way of drinking vodka is straight, very very cold, while eating very ***** salamis and hams with a very strong mustard. I have spent a few very long nights that way, the ***** meat helps keep you from getting too drunk too quickly, and the vodka works well with the flavors.

 

[j]

I have a menu brought back for me from a Russian tea room with vodka ritual instructions on it. They include taking a big sniff of some dark bread or something. I'll have to dig that out.

Speaking of vodka service, does anyone else have a vodka set? I got a pretty cheap one with tube shaped glasses with wide heavy bases and a bowl to hold ice water with the tubes in it. Tried it once, it definitely works.

 

[globetrotter]

I haven't seen that. what I usually do is mix ice and salt in a bowl to get very cold sludge, and then take my vodka from the freezer and put it in the bowl. I thin serve from the bottle, as needed.

 

[j]

Here's the one I have. Got it at Marshalls for maybe 10 bucks. It's definitely not worth $40, but it's reasonably nice.

 

[drizzt3117]

I generally just throw the bottle in the freezer a bit before planning to consume

globetrotter, the regimine that you mentioned seems guaranteed to give you a monster hangover the next morning, afternoon....evening? When I was in Prague last year, me and a couple buddies went to Karlovy Lazne (not sure if you guys know this club, but it's enormous, if kinda ghetto) and one of my buddies smuggled in a bottle of Wybrowya (polish vodka, expensive in the US, cheap as hell in CZ) The Czechs have an energy drink called Semtex that's kinda similar to Red Bull, but much more powerful... Alternating shots of absinth (straight up, no wussy sugar) and Semtex/Vodkas is guaranteed to leave you barely in the land of the living the next day...

 

[globetrotter]

drzzt, I am at a point in my life where every time I drink more than a couple of drinks, I am supprised at the level of the hangover, so I don't know if that is worse of not that other ways of drinking, but the mixture of salty fat meat and alchohol can't be good for a hangover, thinking about it logically. at my brother's wedding, when I was 19 and could run a marathon in boots (and I am talking literally here) I drank pitcher after pitcher whiskey sours and was up at 10 am the following morning for brunch (after sleeping the night dressed in a tuxedo in the shower stall of my motel room) and people couldn't believe it. now, a night of drinking with customers and I am shaky in the morning. such is life.

 

[drizzt3117]

well, that means you're not drinking yourself to death with your high tolerance. I haven't been drinking to the extent that I was while in Europe or Asia either, which is probably a good thing