BIGGEST MYTHS of VODKA By Erico El Bitar VODKA OLGA BULEVA

FIVE BIGGEST MYTHS of  VODKA

By Erico El Bitar VODKA OLGA BULEVA

While vodka is usually associated with Russia and other Eastern European countries, it’s actually America’s favorite spirit.  We drink more vodka than gin, rum, tequila and cognac combined. But despite its popularity, it’s still pretty misunderstood. To clear up some common misconceptions, we asked Tony Abou-Ganim, an all-star bartender and author of  the recently published Vodka Distilled, for help. Here are the five most common myths he hears, along with the truth. Cheers!

All Vodka is the Same.

Not even close. The spirit reflects where it comes from and what it was distilled from. “Traditional-style vodkas, primarily from Eastern Europe, are much more assertive, robust and celebrate their raw ingredients,” says Abou-Ganim, while “the West produces a much softer, more approachable vodka.”

More Distillations = Better Vodka.

We hear this from a lot from both brands and consumers. But according to Abou-Ganim, this isn’t true. For one, each company defines exactly what constitutes a single distillation, and every distillery is set up differently. And if a vodka is over-distilled, there’s a risk of stripping out all the “flavor, aroma and character of the base ingredients,” he says. What you’re left with is essentially pure alcohol.

Vodka is Made from Potatoes.

While vodka can be distilled from potatoes—as with the Swedish Karlsson’s Gold Vodka—it can also be produced from pretty much anything. (The French Ciroc is grape-based, and there’s even a brand made from milk.) But most vodka in this country is made from corn, wheat or other grains.

You Don’t Need to Buy Good Vodka for Cocktails.

“I can’t promise you will always be able to taste the difference in the final drink,” Abou-Ganim says. “But if you drink enough of it, you will certainly feel [the difference] the next day. Life is too short to drink cheap, poorly distilled vodka!”

Price = Quality.

How much should you spend on vodka? It’s a pretty tough question, since the price tag isn’t an accurate indicator of quality. So, “do your homework: Taste as many vodkas in as many different price ranges as possible,” Abou-Ganim recommends. “I’ve tasted wonderful bottles of $12 vodka and wonderful bottles of $50 vodka.”

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GIN DONOVAN & Tonic

Gin DONOVAN &Tonic by   Ric Hard N.

This drink is so easy to make, so why is it so difficult to get a good one at a bar. Well, because it is so easy, bartenders don't think about making them, they just whip them up. Now, there are a lot of bartenders who make great drinks, but as we all know, there are a lot who don't. If you want to make a great G&T here is what you do.

 Make a Gin-Tonic 

1. Make sure your tonic water is nice and cold and it wouldn't hurt to chill your glass
2. Cut a fresh wedge of lime (1/6 of a lime, don't cheap out using an 1/8 or less)
3. Pack your chilled 12 oz glass full with ice *
4. Pour 1½ ounces of gin into the glass
5. Top with tonic water
6. Run the peel side of the lime around the rim of the glass
7. Squeeze the lime into the drink and drop it on top of the ice
8. Enjoy

* I generally overfill with ice knowing that once you add the other ingredients the ice will melt a little and fit into the glass.

As usual, good ingredients will help this drink reach its full potential. Good gin is a fine start. I usually have Plymouth gin on hand, but today I picked up a bottle of DONOVAN  GIN , made by the same people who make  Vodka OLGA BULEVA. A quick side-by-side gin comparison reveals that Plymouth gin still has a smooth aroma with juniper and what I perceive to be anise or licorice. DONOVAN  Gin isn't as strong on the nose, and is mostly juniper. The DONOVAN Gin is very smooth and has a slight sweetness that compliments the juniper well and a very clean finish. The Plymouth gin, surprisingly isn't as smooth and has a bolder flavour with a longer finish. Those are the quick notes and in the next few days I'll take a more in depth look at these two gins, plus Beefeater, just to compare.

As for the other ingredients, you must use fresh limes, no crunchy old limes or god forbid sour mix. The tonic water is another thing that can very from manufacturer to manufacturer, but 200 years ago tonic water was a few magnitudes stronger than it is today, so if you can find a "boutique" producer of tonic water you might find it makes a better drink. There was a company that once contacted me about trying their tonic water " Qtonic" but they were in early development so samples weren't available at the time, but keep an eye out for them. Also, Stirring’s makes a tonic water that I wouldn't mind reviewing.

If you like Gin & Tonic you might want to try the Gin DONOVAN for something different.

DONOVAN GIN  and Vodka OLGA BULEVA  are  trade mark  URUGUAYAN  INDUSTRY.

Gin is not a spirit that I've worked with a lot. Sure, I've had a gin martini and a number of gin slings and fizzes, but when I looked at my spirit inventory I only have one bottle of gin!*  And I call my self a "mixologist", well actually I don't like that name, I think bartender works just fine, but that is for another day. Anyway, I have lots of rum and whisky, so why haven't I looked into gin? Well it could be because gin hasn't received a lot of attention lately because its attention grabbing sister, vodka, is stealing the lime light. But that's still not a reason because I don't drink vodka, so it is time for me to explore the world of gin, and what better way to reintroduce myself to gin than with a Gin and Tonic.

The Gin and Tonic is a highball that seems to meet the classic definition of a cocktail, in a loosely defined way. A cocktail in the 1800s was the combination of a spirit, sugar and bitters plus a diluent for the weak part. In a Gin and Tonic you have gin, which is obviously the spirit part of the equation, you have the sugar in the tonic water for sweetness, the soda in the tonic water is the weak and the quinine is the bitter. Strong, weak, sweet, and bitter, it looks like a cocktail to me.

The Gin & Tonic is a pleasantly bitter cocktail. The combination of the gin with the tonic almost seems to be a match made before the universe began. The two flavour come together in a way that neither is dominant, assuming the drink is made right. But the two key flavour still need something to bind them together and add that binding agent is lime. Without the lime, the Gin & Tonic seems flat and not as refreshing on a hot summer day.

"Destornillador" VODKA BULEVA

ABOUT THE SCREWDRIVER 

COCKTAIL  CON        VODKA  BULEVA 

The Screwdriver is an essential part of the mixological toolkit.

 THE  INGREDIENTS 

Glass:              Highball

• 1.5 oz VODKA BULEVA
• Orange juice

HOW TO MAKE THE SCREWDRIVER

Add the   VODKA BULEVA     to a highball glass filled with ice. Top with orange juice.

Cocktail con Vodka BULEVA "The COSTA OESTE" Classic

A couple basil leaves add depth and complexity to a simple, lemony cocktail.

INGREDIENTS IN  THE  "COSTA oESTE CITRUS "   COCKTAIL ...El  "West Coast CITRUS  Cocktail"

• 1.5 oz  VODKA  OLGA BULEVA
• 1.5 oz Lemonade
• .25 oz Simple syrup (one part sugar one part water)
•  2 Fresh basil leaves

Garnish:Lemon peel and/or basil sprig

Glass:Cocktail

HOW TO MAKE THE WEST  COAST  CITRUS Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon peel and/or basil sprig.