Spoiler alert, guys: if you’re still drinking VCRs, you’re not drinking vodka right. According to science, there are a few ways you should be upping your vodka game. We’ve gone and compiled them all in one handy place so you can impress you mates with your superior knowledge on all things vodka. And they said adulting was hard. Pfft!
We’ve teamed up with Belvedere Vodka to bring you this list, because, let’s be real: is there really a better vodka out there?!
So, pour yourself a drink and let’s do this.
Pick The Right Base
Surprise, surprise—there is such a thing as good and bad vodka. Who knew?! That house basic you've been ordering is probably the reason you hate vodka, right?! Right. We recommend choosing a vodka that’s designed to be straight up delicious, like a rye vodka. Without having the luxury or being aged in oak like whisky or flavoured with botanicals like gin- good vodka uses science and over 600 years of experimentation to balance the flavor of the final spirit between the purity and bite of alcohol and distinctive character of its raw ingredients.The location where the ingredients were grown (aka, terroir) results in different flavour profiles for vodkas. So, yup, ingredients matter people. For example, Belvedere’s Smogóry Forest and Lake Bartężek use the same rye, but have totally different flavour profiles. This is due to the Diamond Dankoswie they contain, which has a profile sculpted by the terroir of the single estate where it was harvested. These vodkas aren’t available in the bottle o down the road, so ask your bartender if they’re mixing your drink with this.
TLDR: not all vodkas are created equally, guys.
Serve It Right
In Poland, the spiritual home of vodka – they will demand that vodka be consumed chilled, straight, and in a tumbler—absolutely not as a sunrise. Picking the perfect vodka to drink means you can actually drink it this way because it’s been properly distilled and won’t burn your throat like crazy. So that’s step one.
When it comes to mixing the spirit, drink your vodka in an expertly balanced cocktail. Our tip is to head to one of the bars below to make sure you’re getting a seriously top-tier mixed drink. You'll learn to appreciate the terroir when served right by the pros, so you can learn to replicate it at home.
Drink up!
Check out these venues for our fave vodka cocktails:
Toko—because delicious Japanese food and dranks always pair perfectly.
The Paddo Inn—for decor that matches how delish your drink is.
Bar Machiavelli—pasta and vodka, because that's how you do it.
Chiswick—for food made from the most stunning ingredients and vodka done the same way.
Editor's note: this article was produced in partnership with Belvedere Vodka. Thank you for supporting the partners who make The Urban List possible. To read our full editorial policy, click here.
Image credit: Caitlin Hicks