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Vodka lacks standardized classifications, with variations in grading systems across countries. In Poland, Vodkas are categorized based on purity levels: standard (zwykly), premium (wyborowy), and deluxe (luksusowy). In Russia, the label “osobaya” (special) indicates a high-quality Vodka suitable for export, while “krepkaya” (strong) signifies an overproof Vodka with at least 56% alcohol by volume (ABV).
In the United States, domestic Vodkas adhere to government regulations defining them as “neutral spirits, so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.” Due to the legal requirement of taste neutrality, American Vodkas exhibit subtle differences between brands, often discerned primarily through alcohol content and price according to the preferences of many consumers.
As Vodka is inherently a neutral spirit, it easily combines with various flavors and enhances other beverages. In the 19th century, Sherry producers in Spain highly valued the potent “Russian spirit,” importing it to strengthen their wines.
Even today, neutral spirits play a role in fortifying wines like Port and Sherry. However, the alcohol source for such purposes nowadays often comes from the extensive “wine lake” generated by European Union agricultural practices.
Flavored Vodkas have been crafted since the beginning, initially to mask the taste of early primitive Vodkas. Over time, they evolved into a testament to the distillers’ expertise. Russians and Poles, in particular, continue to offer a diverse array of flavors, with some of the more renowned types including:
Kubanskaya – Vodka flavored with an infusion of dried lemon and orange peels.
Limonnaya – Lemon-flavored Vodka, usually with a touch of sugar added.
Okhotnichya -“Hunters” Vodka is flavored with a mix of ginger, cloves, lemon peel, coffee, anise and other herbs and spices. It is then blended with sugar and a touch of a wine similar to white port. A most unusual Vodka.
Pertsovka -Pepper-flavored Vodka, made with both black peppercorns and red chili peppers.
Starka – “Old” Vodka, a holdover from the early centuries of Vodka production, which can be infused with everything from fruit tree leaves to brandy, Port, Malaga wine, and dried fruit. Some brands are aged in oak casks.
Zubrovka – Zubrowka in Polish; Vodka flavored with buffalo (or more properly “bison”) grass, an aromatic grass favored by the herds of the rare European bison.