Vodka 101: The Spirit of Choice
What better way to start out my assignment as the host of “Cocktail Chatter” than to write about my favorite liquor, Vodka. And I am not alone. Vodka is the best-selling liquor in America, accounting for over 26% of all spirit sales. A glance around any gay bar tells you that in the U.S. gay market that number is probably higher.
It was not always so. Until the late 1950’s vodka was considered an exotic Russian import. As always, marketing drove the expansion. Vodka was advertised as “White Whiskey - no taste, no smell.” Its popularity skyrocketed as imbibers believed that there would be no alcohol on their breath and they would avoid hangovers. It quickly replaced other spirits in highballs and cocktails. Most famously it usurped gin as the spirit of choice in a martini.
Vodka can be made from many base ingredients: rye, wheat, potatoes, beets, grapes or grapeseed, molasses, and more. The ingredients are first fermented, then distilled. In most western vodkas the distillation process produces something fairly close to pure alcohol, and water is added back in. Most high-end vodkas also filter the spirit as well. All of this distilling and filtering is the source of the clean taste that makes vodka so mixable and popular.
Rye and wheat are the most common sources in well-known brands, with a smattering of potato vodkas. Molasses is largely used for mass-producing vodka for mass market brands. Though all vodka is highly distilled, each vodka has a unique flavor profile as a result of the residual components of the original distillation, as well as the various methods and materials used for filtering.
The super premium brands such as Grey Goose, Belvedere, or Chopin each have subtle flavors best appreciated in the cocktail which features vodka in a starring role, the martini. (Martini preparation is another column!) My personal favorite is Absolut’s entry in the super premium line, Level by Absolut. Not only do I like the flavor, I choose it for political reasons. I support the vodka that supports me. Absolut has been a leading supporter of many gay organizations and events for 30 years.
While martinis feature vodka in a starring role, the overwhelming popularity of the beverage is its ability to act in a supporting role. No other spirit plays so well with others. Vodka and tonic, vodka and cranberry, vodka and coke, vodka and diet coke (dubbed the “skinny bitch” by the drag queens of Key West), and the cocktail that helped popularize vodka in the U.S., the Moscow Mule (vodka and ginger ale).
Flavored vodkas are nothing new. Polish distillers were commercially producing lemon and pepper vodkas at least 200 years ago. Russian and Scandinavian vodkas used herbs and nuts for flavoring even earlier. Today vodkas are infused with dozens of flavors: lemon, lime, cranberry, pomegranate, acai berry, chocolate, grapefruit, peach, and even bacon. I like sipping infused or flavored vodkas on the rocks. They also can create new variations to martinis, cosmos, and a variety of shots.
The beauty of vodka lies in versatility. Whether you are enjoying the refined and subtle flavors in a classic martini, or partying hard with an alcohol that plays well with your favorite mixer, vodka is the spirit of choice.
Homo for the Holidays
My puritan forbears would be aghast at the amount of drinking that goes on around the holidays. They’d also be aghast that I am gay, so we know how much I care about their opinion.
Thanksgiving Eve is one of the biggest bar nights of the year. But the real drinking starts the next morning for me. Several years ago Martin and I took over the preparation of the Family Thanksgiving Dinner. The Turkey Coup came after one too many overcooked (or worse, undercooked) turkeys. So the gay boys get up early and start the turkey prep. This ritual begins at about 8:00 a.m. and is accompanied by Mimosas.
Thanksgiving is the best excuse for early drinking
After the bird is in the oven we start on brunch. This is when we get the rest of the family drinking mimosas, as well. The key to great mimosas is in the orange juice. Use fresh squeezed. Much as I love Taittinger’s champagne there is no reason to use it when you are mixing it with OJ. I use Cook’s Brut: inexpensive and palatable. My ratio is two parts champagne to one part OJ. If you want to kick it up a notch spike it with a splash of Grand Marnier. And don’t forget the garnish, half an orange wheel on the rim.
As the afternoon progresses, while the more butch members of the gathering become entranced by watching football, and the rest of us engage in a Judy Garland retrospective marathon, I start mixing what I affectionately call Grandfather Drinks, like Old Fashions or Manhattans. Since we spend the holidays in Wisconsin I usually mix Brandy Manhattans. It was only after I moved away from Wisconsin that I found out that brandy is not what everyone drinks after being weaned off milk. If you want a Whiskey Manhattan I recommend Crown Royal. We got hooked on Crown Royal Manhattans on a Vegas trip years ago. Whether brandy or whiskey, the proportion is three parts liquor, one part sweet vermouth, and a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters over ice. Garnish with a cherry.
My favorite Grandfather Drink is an obscure drink my father picked up about 60 years ago in Lexington, MA, The Flintlock: 1 1/2 oz. Brandy, 1/2 oz. Apple Brandy, 1 tsp. Lemon Juice, 3 drops Granadine, a couple dashes White Creme de Menthe.
I could spend an entire column on what wine to serve with dinner. There are lots of flavors on the traditional holiday table, and no one wine is perfect. Champagne pairs well with many foods, and the acidity clears the palate for the next dish. Now is the time to break out the Taittinger’s. Pinot Noir works great with poultry. White wines that are fruit forward and have a little residual sugar, like a Riesling, are often popular.
After a huge holiday dinner we engage in the traditional run to the nearest gay bar. Even if you love your family, after a full day of football and embarrassing childhood stories I’m ready for cocktails with lots of gay people. Stick with the holiday theme and try a Pumpkin Pie Shot, made of equal parts Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and Goldschlager (or other cinnamon schnapps) shaken and strained into a shot glass. This is one of those shots, like Oatmeal Cookies, that people swear tastes just like the namesake. Of course, they usually make these claims after the third shot.
Happy Holidays, and cheers!
