What is VODKA and does it really all taste the same?! Let's find out!

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What is VODKA and does it really all taste the same?! Let's find out!

Рет қаралды 13,454

Күн бұрын

Vodka can get a bad rap but does it deserve it? What's your favourite vodka?!
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Пікірлер: 104

@Adiscretefirm Жыл бұрын

If you already have a government agency performing inspections and granting licenses in very regulated manufacturing industries sometimes it makes more sense to give them one more industry than to invent a new agency. Therefore Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Alternatively, they are combined so you can do all your weekend shopping at one place.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

😂

@Crazt Жыл бұрын

@@BehindtheBar, to be serious though. Their primary intention was investigating organized crime. So providing licenses and regulations on how alcohol was being manufactured and sold ensured only legitimate groups were making and distributing it, keeping the distributors honest as far as what was in an alcohol and tobacco product was a big problem during their early days pre-WWII. Firearms was just added because again it had to do with tracking organized crime.

@ScubaSteveabc Жыл бұрын

Also worth adding, they were originally part of the Department of the Treasury (under the name "Revenue Laboratory") as a group tasked with testing a "sin tax" (not the official term) on Alcohol and Tobacco. During prohibition they were transferred to the Department of Justice - as making alcohol illegal meant that enforcing alcohol laws would now require more policing and less accounting (although still quite a bit of accounting, as Al Capone will attest to). Post-Prohibition they were transferred back to the Department of the Treasury and named the "Alcohol Tax Unit." Later in the 40s it was determined it would be worth having a specific group to regulate firearms, and for the reasons Carl Rice mentioned, the ATU seemed like a good candidate rather than starting a whole new agency - and the ATF was born.

@jhn1533 Жыл бұрын

😂

@josephk5654 Жыл бұрын

Some of my local offerings include corn in the mash which I find makes for a particularly sweet vodka, and it tends to cover up almost all of the ethanol notes.

@shannonbilger5301 Жыл бұрын

ATF are combined because the Treasury Department originally collected excise taxes on all 3.

@jpcampbell Жыл бұрын

It’s all about collecting that $$

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

Always about the money haha

@shannonbilger5301 Жыл бұрын

And going after organized crime post prohibition

@christopherreed4723 Жыл бұрын

I've only had direct experience with Reyka and Luksusowa vodkas. Reyka is interesting from the technical standpoint because they use a Carter-Head still and, iirc, use the still's basket to filter the vapors through chunks of lava rock. It's very neutral, with a faint mineral hint. Luksusowa is a Polish Vodka made from potatoes. I haven't noticed the heavyness, but it has a definite peppery nose. Vodka is definitely one of the least-used spirits in my cabinet. It's primary purpose is to fuel the occasional Bloody Mary, and provide a few teaspoons to rinse out syrup bottles after they've been treated with boiling water. Oh, and to ward off the inevitable question "What, no Vodka?".

@user-yg2kq9th7l Жыл бұрын

Seriously, for me all these differences is placebo effect. As russian i can declare that all vodkas are same if we speak about taste. Better vodka is just milder and not so deadly in the morning. And we dont need to find some extra taste in it. It's tasteless, ok. it's just amplify the taste of snacks and therefore could be served with almost any snacks. it's the main feature here.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good freezer vodka and a blini but honestly, wrap your lips around a proper potato vodka if you haven’t - it’s entirely different from the grain based ones.

@jussim.konttinen4981 Жыл бұрын

Basically, gin is vodka flavored with juniper. Only imagination is the limit as to how many flavors there can be. Dill is one of my favorites

@jamessmithson99 Жыл бұрын

Tito's in the US uses MGP grain spirit, and is very neutral

@thisisntmeitssomeperson Жыл бұрын

While vodka does have different discernible (and enjoyable) characteristics when consumed on its own or with water/ice, that disappears in cocktails with additional ingredients. I also believe that (almost) any vodka cocktail is improved by subbing light rum or gin, but that one’s admittedly personal preference.

@robertdiehl1281 Жыл бұрын

Excellent video. I’m not sure I would have been able to detect a difference once I got to the last sip lol.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

😂

@daviddenton20 Жыл бұрын

I like my corn based vodkas now and fine that a good pot still vodka easily out trumps a column still ones which may also have glycerin added back in to give it mouth feel. Great video as always 🤘

@DukeDuke276 3 ай бұрын

Do you know how many times you'd have to distill something in a pot still for it to come out neutral? Usually when making vodka you distill it to around 96% to make it neutral. I call BS on your comment.

@TheSpiritoftheCocktail Жыл бұрын

AWESOME VIDEO!!! As a vodka lover, I can def taste the differences in vodka, depending on what its made of!!! Out of the freezer, Vox vodka might be the best I've tasted!! It tastes like sweet, peppery bread!! Great with dill pickles!!! CHEERS!!!

@andrewbutler7681 Жыл бұрын

A bit surprised not to see Smirnoff (the higher proof Blue Label used to be one of my go-to spirits) or Stolichnaya. My favourite back in the day was Kremlyovskaya; my least favourite either Wyborowa from Poland or English 'industrial' ones like Cossack and Vladivar; Absolut, Russkii Standart and Ketel One somewhere in the middle. Blavod was a fun ingredient for dark cocktails. I was tempted by the Snow Queen bottle and advertising, but never took the plunge... For flavoured vodkas (depending on mood etc.) I would have to list Krupnik and Zubrowka. Some day I should really try Holy Grass!

@drewloustaunau7371 Жыл бұрын

I loved this deep dive into vodka!! i felt personally called out lol i’m definitely of the mindset that all vodkas are the same and so boring. but when i do drink it i find myself going for the corn or potato based for sure, i feel like they have a little bit more heft and meatiness to them. from experience working in hospitality in the states i can say that tito’s (corn based) is by far the most popular when people are ordering vodka

@nicholasgraves3149 Жыл бұрын

I've tried about every vodka I've seen on a shelf, and I still haven't found a reason to go anywhere past Tito's in terms of price. They really do all taste the same, and as long as the price is right and there's not any off notes or an offensive ethanol punch you're basically splitting hairs to find much that distinguishes them. It is interesting that Tito's has won so many blind taste tests with bottles that are MUCH more expensive than it. I think the corn probably offers the tiniest bit of sweetness and helps cover up the yucky rubbing alcohol flavor/smell vodka tends to have.

@trimbaker1893 Жыл бұрын

Right on, thank you.

@meat_loves_wasabi Жыл бұрын

For regularly drinking Normally I just get a cheaper bottle like a Smirnoff or Absolut

@OneDrinkThreeBars Жыл бұрын

The Archie Rose sounds the most interesting to me! Kind of an "almost gin." I always find it a little funny when people think brands like Grey Goose are way better because they're more expensive. I think a mid-range like Smirnoff works just as well, especially for mixing. If I'm just in the mood for something easy, and not feeling creative, I will have vodka and soda. Otherwise, I'll go for gin, whiskey, rum, etc., but I definitely don't have the hatred for vodka like some bartenders!

@ItsMe-fs4df Жыл бұрын

Right? I'm a brown spirit person, so not that great with gin and the juniper can be quite overpowering for me. So I'm definitely keen to give it a crack 😁😁

@joewas2225 Жыл бұрын

Grey Goose is HIGHLY overrated. Absolut & Stoli are my go to Vodka.

@SirZorgulon Жыл бұрын

“Luxury vodka” brands are pretty much all markup! I personally like Polish rye or potato vodkas like Wyborowa and Luksusowa, which are cheaper than Grey Goose or Belvedere, they just come in less fancy bottles!

@JoeyIndolos Жыл бұрын

ATF is basically a national vice squad. In most countries, that would refer to just alcohol and tobacco, but since it’s the US, it includes firearms 😜

@jong-minchoi5989 Жыл бұрын

"Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms" is actually America's favorite store. The government agency came later.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

😂

@Achromasloth Жыл бұрын

Not the biggest fan of Vodka but when bartenders get all snooty about it, it becomes my favorite spirit out of spite.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

Haha love this!

@mdp9777 Жыл бұрын

Never really delved into vodka, but you definitely made me curious!

@Brad-ic4bp Жыл бұрын

I guess I'm not a vodka fan, because my favorites are the ones that taste least like vodka, if that makes any sense. I keep a bottle of Reyka vodka around just for the occasional White Russian or Moscow Mule.

@cathythielen3182 Жыл бұрын

I have just recently found a CA vodka, King St, that is corn based!!! that is wonderful just on ice!!!

@andrewsmall305 Жыл бұрын

As Anthony Bourdain once famously said, coming out from a bar in Cambodia, "Alcohol, tobacco and firearms are the trifecta of fun." Seems as good a rationale as any for creating a governmental body for oversight.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

😂

@ChristopherCilley Жыл бұрын

Chopin. Hands down best.

@raymondsnow7745 Ай бұрын

That's my go to. Black Label Polish potato vodka. Their wheat vodka with the red label is quite good too

@zzanenghi Жыл бұрын

It’s all about taxing the spirit at every level of production and distribution. From the farmer growing the grain to the distillery buying the grain, to the sale of the finished product by the distillery and the mixing of a cocktail in a restaurant or bar the spirit is taxed at every step.

@Ladco77 Жыл бұрын

"Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms" should be the name of a convenience store.

@mattfalk8493 Жыл бұрын

drank some Hellfire while in Tasmania at the Hobart markets. their gin selection is freaking delicious the Sole Gin they make is off the chain so God Dam good definitely worth the hunt if you can find it...

@hristogavrilov Жыл бұрын

My favourite is a relatively little known Polish vodka called Konik's Tail. I do like a smooth and neutral vodka and I have never tasted anything that beats it. For a funky tasting ones, Black Cow is a pretty interesting taste but in my experience the taste can vary significantly from one bottle to another so if you want consistency in your drinks, it wouldn't be my first choice.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

Oh I tried Konik’s Tail back in the UK, delicious!

@netanelizhakov7592 Жыл бұрын

Amazing video as always. Btw i don't like potato base vodka they don't taste good they're very different and not as clean as others and they usually leaving you with a hangover.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

I am obsessed with that one haha, each to their own! Although I haven’t drank enough of it to test the hangover theory 🤔

@netanelizhakov7592 Жыл бұрын

@@BehindtheBar maybe it's just me🤷 but I find that potato base They are usually less qualitative then grain base.

@raymondsnow7745 Ай бұрын

That's interesting. Chopin has never left me feeling hungover. Tito's "premium" vodka left me with a brown liquor type hangover. Maybe because it's corn???

@Blakeyhaha Жыл бұрын

Beluga is my favorite

@mashusama76 Жыл бұрын

From Maui, Hawaii is a vodka called Ocean Vodka, made from sugar cane and deep ocean mineral water.

@HYDRARMOR Жыл бұрын

Oh, finally drink from my homeland is getting some love 💫

@Blueroseproject354 Жыл бұрын

which one? and where from?

@HYDRARMOR Жыл бұрын

@@Blueroseproject354 Vodka Russia 😀

@Blueroseproject354 Жыл бұрын

@@HYDRARMOR oh hahahaha I thought like a specific brand hahaha 🤣 nice.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

Do you have a favourite?

@HYDRARMOR Жыл бұрын

@@BehindtheBar yes! Here in Russia we have wide range of choices, but my favorite is Morosha No headaches, tastes very light, great in cocktails 👌

@Mysfi Жыл бұрын

For a proper deep dive to vodkas, do get some proper stuff from eastern and northern Europe. Here only Belvedere is "proper stuff".

@Molach101 Жыл бұрын

I'm still wondering why we haven't had a "vodka boom" in Scotland yet, considering the number of new distilleries opening up. They all seem to produce gin first while waiting for the whiskies to age, but why not vodka too? Judging from descriptions of the whisky we used to make illegally in the hills, it seems to be much the same as poitín in Ireland, and people drank it much the same as vodka in Scandinavia now... of course I'm saying this and maybe the Scots distilleries are producing plenty vodka and it just hasn't taken off

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

That's a really interesting point! I haven't been back for too long to comment with much authority 😩 but I feel like gin has always been seen as such a quintessentially British product it might just seem like the obvious choice. Plus, craft vodka is more expensive than large volume stuff so maybe they just feel consumers won't see the value in spending more on a bottle, whereas they do with gin.

@SirZorgulon Жыл бұрын

Vodkas are for drinking neat, so I appreciated this deep dive to highlight the differences in a very neutral base spirit! I feel the difference matters less in vodka cocktails, but I enjoy a neat vodka shot now and then.

@arthurschopenhauer1070 Жыл бұрын

I’m not a huge vodka drinker but Chopin is very good

@mashusama76 Жыл бұрын

Have you tried Coconut Vodka, from the Philippines? Lambanog.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

I have not but I want to!

@Bubbleuprubberdown Жыл бұрын

If only you could try Hot Monkey Vodka! It’s from New Deal Distillery in Portland, Oregon. So good on it’s own as a sipper or fantastic in a Bloody Mary.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

I know there’s so many great drops from other countries we just don’t get here. Will visit at some point I’m sure! Used to live in Vancouver so love the Pacific Northwest

@davew8694 Жыл бұрын

It should be a convenience store.

@DomYmear Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video. I still can‘t help but feel that the less like Vodka the Vodka tastes the better the Vodka is.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

Haha maybe true…

@raymondsnow7745 Ай бұрын

I think that's the American way of defining vodka, as she stated. American sold vodka has typically been like watered down grain alcohol. Good vodka doesn't taste like "vodka" that Americans think of

@WatanabeNoTsuna. Жыл бұрын

KZfaqrs never put what they say they will in the description! 😂

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

Oh dang!! Thanks for reminding me, I did actually check - they have a small column still 😊

@WatanabeNoTsuna. Жыл бұрын

@@BehindtheBar No harm done!👍 I just found it funny that everytime someone says that, I go to check and it's never there. 😂 Thanks for a great, very informative and interesting video, as always! 😁

@toddellner5283 Жыл бұрын

The BATF - now the TTB, it's complicated - is under the Treasury Department. It was originally instituted under a different name to make sure that taxes were paid on alcohol. Since a lot of this had to do with particular taxes paid depending on precisely what wines, beers, and spirits were being sold other regulations relating to the beverages fell under their purview. A bit later on the same thing led to them taxing tobacco and enforcing laws about tobacco growing allotments. Since the alcohol revenue people had experience in this sort of thing tobacco was fit in as well. Firearms were similar. The National Firearms Act defined weapons for which one had to obtain a special tax stamp such as sawn off shotguns and automatic weapons. It was easier for various legal and political reasons than an outright ban. Once again, it was the Treasury Department which was in charge of collecting the fee, issuing the stamp, and ensuring compliance. They also quite logically got tasked with ensuring Federal laws relating to who was permitted to sell firearms were followed.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@qwaqwa1960 Жыл бұрын

I quite liked a potato vodka & gin(!) I tried in PEI :-) (PEI is famous for potatoes)

@frankmartinez4856 Жыл бұрын

Don’t hate Russia: Vodka, Messer Chups(surf punk)!!! My friend she love 💕 vodka & Gin!!

@ginafriend1690 Жыл бұрын

Interesting! Grey Goose is my first choice, then Bellevedre 🍸but I'm certainly up for trying the others! Thanks Cara 🌹

@apt981 Жыл бұрын

Can you do a blind taste test?

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

Good idea!

@swissgator6312 Жыл бұрын

If you mix enough alcohol and tobacco, you're sure to add firearms to the mix at some point!! 😂

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

😂

@absolutdrinks Жыл бұрын

I feel like something's missing here...🤔

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

😂

@WillWorringer Жыл бұрын

A wee bit hungover these days. Hmm

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

Me? Mate, I work full time plus do the channel and am a regular contributor to Bartender Magazine, on top of plenty of other commitments. I don’t have time to be hungover.

@joewas2225 Жыл бұрын

Does it all really taste the same? No. They all taste different.

@artmallory970 Жыл бұрын

'English still isn't common in many parts of the world. It hasn't been spoken in America for years' Given the vague, broken derision of the English language spoken by most younger 'mericans, it's not surprising they tip over verbiage & definitions of words...

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

@artmallory970 Жыл бұрын

@@BehindtheBar Most younger 'mericans can barely speak English correctly. Wrong your/you're, to/too, their/there/they're, lose/loose, miss-spelling 'colour', 'flavour', 'tyre', 'aluminium', the list is endless. Listen to young 'mericans talk - every 2nd word out of their mouth is 'like' 'totally', bro, dude, etc. Ending questions with prepositions. 'Where are your shoes *at* ?'

@artmallory970 Жыл бұрын

@@BehindtheBar P.S. This is saying nothing of the language garbled in the 'deep south. Many Brits says 'merican English today is so far removed from British English (ie. Correct original English) that it's not even right to say 'mericans speak English, but rather that they speak 'merican. That's what many of them believe anyway...

@eai554 Жыл бұрын

Vodka is, for the most part, a great waste of time. There are a few stand-outs: Chopin, the 100 proof Belvedere, Ciroc, for example, as well as those that have “additives” like buffalo or bison grass (I think it’s a Polish vodka). Sometimes it’s a mouth feel (Chopin), sometimes it’s a rye spice), but vodka can in no way compete with gin, rum, tequila or, especially, whiskey.

@BehindtheBar Жыл бұрын

Not everything has to be a competition 😉 haha but I think the point of the video is that it’s cool the category is moving back away from overly filtered and distilled and allowing some character to shine through!

@joewas2225 Жыл бұрын

Vodka is not a waste of time. It's literally the most versatile spirit.

@eai554 Жыл бұрын

@@joewas2225 to each his own. Definitely, drink what you like, however you like it. And, if by versatile, you mean flavorless, then yes, I agree. The only thing that vodka (most vodkas, not all, I must admit, there are a few exceptions) adds to a cocktail is alcohol.