<div>Do you get shirty when met with the talk that whiskey is posh and all the rest is tosh? Well, with vodka steadily climbing up the super premium ladder, next time you meet those single malt bores, you can square your shoulders and down your drink with attitude. And when the whiskey type drones on about the quality of barley, you can go with the grain and talk rye and wheat. Or get fruity and talk grape and potato.<br /><br />For all those who think vodka is a flavourless, textureless, colourless liquid that is only a great canvas for a heady cocktail and nothing else beyond, think again. Vodka’s image — from being the elixir of the masses that intoxicated generations of Russians to a refined liquor that could sit proudly at any aristocrat’s table — has been steadily climbing. But it’s since the mid 1990s when marketers came up with luxe aspirational brands that vodka drinking has become fashionable.<br /> <br />A host of super premium vodka brands — most of them available in India — emphasise the depth of personality that the drink can have if you stop mixing it with juices and savour it neat. Although vodka’s popularity is because it can stand up and be drunk like a martini in Agent 007 style or because it’s a great base for some of the most inventive concoctions, but on the whole the vodka purist would recommend it not to be shaken and stirred. It is best had on the rocks with a twist of lime. <br /><br />Meanwhile, here are some tips to get you started to counter the whiskey man.<br /><br /><strong>Talk History</strong><br />If whiskey can trace its origins to monks and medicine from the Gaellic region, then vodka too dates back to medieval ages with a similar start but from the harsher climes of Eastern Europe. The Poles and Russians still argue over where it originated with both countries claiming it as their own. Monk Isidore from the Chudov Monastery is believed to have made the recipe for the first Russian vodka while the Poles say they introduced the distillation process first. You can take either side as you reminisce about how vodka has been a constant spirit in Eastern European politics — from taxes on taverns to street uprisings to battle zones. <br /><br /><strong>Talk Grains</strong><br />Take a cue from Charles Gibb, president, Belvedere, the super premium vodka from the house of Moet Hennesy, who talks about their halo product Belvedere Gold thus. “It’s the ultimate expression of our rye. We use a baker’s grade rye versus industrial rye though we use the same water to magnify the rye character.”<br /><br />Gibb waxes eloquent about the quality of rye versus wheat. “Wheat bread is quite bland, it lacks personality. But if you look at rye, it has a lot of character and complexity. There’s not just taste but texture. ”<br /><br />On the other hand, talk to Russian or Swedish distillers who are partial to wheat and they will hold forth on the magic of this grain. And then there are the multigrain lot. Arun Aditya Singla, MD of Kristal Spirits India which retails Fashion Vodka, made from blends, says, “If we use blend, the taste is mild and remarkably silky, smooth and extraordinary. The texture is delicate and has soft long-lasting finish.”<br /><br /><strong>Talk Fruit</strong><br />From acorns to raspberry, sage to sorrel, nearly every ingredient in the world has been tried out on vodka to flavour it and add a touch of distinction. Even the very base has been innovated on with vodka not just produced from grain but from potato and beet too. But it took the French with their wine making prowess to try out grapes as a base. CÎROC, for instance, is crafted from fine French grapes. According to Bhavesh Somaya, marketing and innovation director at Diageo India, “Uncommon on every level, from the uniqueness of its grape composition, to the innovative cold fermentation and maceration techniques, CÎROC has subtle aromatics and a smooth, refined taste.”<br /><br /><strong>Talk Water</strong><br />Vodka comes from the word voda which means water in Russian or from woda in Polish. Just like whiskey which originates from the Gaellic uisge which means water of life, for vodka too, it’s the water and the distillation that separates the sublime from the ordinary. Look at the label and see how the vodka marketer will tom tom the pure spring water origin or list out the distillation process.<br /><br /><strong>Talk Brands</strong><br />Ultimately, let’s face it — the drink may be delicious as sin or tasteless as water, but the hype is all in the label. Be it the hourglass shaped bottle of Invincible Vodka or the silver, red or gold packaging of Belvedere, the bottle does half the talking. <br /><br />The rest is for you to make up as you go along. <br /><br />(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 06-10-2014)</div>
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