Moskovskaya Vodka: A Bargain from Russia

There is a lot of foreign vodka available in the U.S. and no spirit category has more competition. As your host has mentioned previously, the method of vodka production can heavily influence the flavor. Recently, your host recommended Dry Fly Vodka out of Spokane, WA. In that case, the uniqueness of the product, full bodied flavor, and craft production process merited the $30-$35 price tag. On the opposite end of the flavor profile lies the drier, Russian/East European style. With these vodkas, a higher price may more likely represent brand prestige than an indication of outright quality.

Your host recently came across a Russian vodka that for the price, knocks the socks off of most vodkas 3 to 4 times as expensive. The brand is Moskovskaya vodka, and is available at your local Trader Joe's at the bargain price of $8.99 for a 750 ml bottle (for those fortunate to live in non-control states).

Enthusiasts of Russian vodka may recognize that the green label design and bottle bear a striking resemblance to the red labeled Stolichnaya vodka. In fact, both brands are manufactured by the same company, SPI Group, a major Russian conglomerate. Originally formulated in 1894, Moskovskaya vodka was re-introduced under the Soviets in 1925. It has a different flavor from Stoli, with a slightly spicier finish. It shares Stoli's smooth mouth feel and pleasing smell, at less than half the cost. The mash bill reportedly contains rye malt, and the distillers add small amounts of baking soda and acetic acid to the final product as flavor enhancers.

It's easy to strike out in this price range for vodka, as most options tend to have a nasty alcohol burn and medicinal smell...fine for mixing and masking with juice, but not suitable for a martini. Moskovskaya is a winner, let's hope the price stays low.

Vodka without the burn...

Your host recently had the chance to visit Spokane's Dry Fly Distilling. Dry Fly Distilling is a relatively new company, and has recently started to ship its gin and vodka to Northern California. Founded in 2007, Dry Fly was Washington State's first licensed micro-distiller. It's located in an unassuming strip mall next to the Norther Lights Brewery on the outskirts of downtown Spokane. Until 2007, it was very difficult to distill in Washington, and the current owners of Dry Fly lobbied the state to create a certain legal category that would allow a small distiller to prosper. One of the stipulations of the law is that 51% of the ingredients must be from Washington State.

Why is this exciting news? It's exciting since this law, designed to help Washington farmers, also causes the distiller to make their alcohol from scratch. Too many new distillers buy industrial grain alcohol (GNS) from Midwest conglomerates such as Archer Daniels and Cargill. They re-distill it, filter it through charcoal, dilute it with "artisan" water, and then slap a fancy label on the bottle and normally a premium price. Unfortunately for the consumer, it's very difficult by look to determine if their vodka or gin is GNS based, or made from scratch. However, if it is GNS based, the marketing material will likely discuss the special filtration process and the use of such items as crystals, lava rock, special charcoal, or diamonds in the filtering. Some bottlings, but not all, will also say 100% grain neutral spirits on the label.

If the alcohol is made from scratch, the distillery either ferments their own grain or uses a local brewery to provide them with wort. The result is usually a more flavorful product with less burn. Well made vodkas made from scratch will have a pleasing, sometimes sweet smell with no trace of rubbing alcohol. It's possible to make a good GNS based vodka, but it will usually have no smell at all and little special taste. It is considerably more expensive and difficult to produce alcohol from grain than it is to buy GNS. Almost every large vodka producer uses GNS, or mixes GNS with a smaller amount of house made spirit to provide flavor.

Dry Fly's vodka, made from Washington wheat, has a creamy, somewhat sweet taste. It is excellent on the rocks with a dash of orange bitters or in a Martini. It's also a vodka that's easy to drink at room temperature, and actually smells nice. Use a cheap vodka for the cranberry or lemon mixer.

Dry Fly's gin is also made with the same vodka base, but is flavored with numerous classic and unique botanicals such as Washington green apple. The flavor is mellow and soft, and while excellent, this gin may not appeal to fans of the more assertive London Dry Style. Use it in a martini or with a squeeze of lime. Save the London Dry for the gin and tonic.

If you're in Washington, both the vodka and gin can be purchased at state liquor stores for around $30. In California, the price tends to be around $35+tax. Both K&L and Beltramos typically carry the vodka and gin. While the vodka is pricey compared to other brands, it's worth the money, and you are not paying for a fancy advertising campaign.

Dry Fly also makes a wheat whiskey, though the initial batch ran out shortly after it was released this fall. Aged two years in bourbon barrels, initial reviews indicated that the next batch is worth seeking out when it's available, which the distillery says might be December 4th.

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Dry Fly Distilling
1003 E. Trent #200
Spokane, WA 99202
509-489-2112
www.dryflydistilling.com

Hoppy vodka? Not quite...

The San Francisco Bay Area is known for its artisanal food and drink, including its locally produced wine and spirits. Most enthusiasts in the know are well aware of St. George Spirits (Hanger One Vodka, whiskies, and fruit brandies), Anchor Distilling (Rye whiskies and Gin), and Germain-Robin (distiller of fine brandies). However, far fewer are aware of a much smaller distillery, deep in Silicon Valley, named Essential Spirits.

Essential Spirits is the endeavor of David Classick and Andrea Mirenda, a husband and wife team who caught the distilling bug after spending time in France and at the Germain-Robin brandy distillery in Ukiah. Having a technology background, they both needed to get educated on distilling before deciding to open their distillery close to home in Mountain View. Rather than making brandy or whiskey, which typically require several years of aging in oak, or vodka, which has tons of market competition, the couple decided on making a unique un-aged German style spirit distilled from beer called Bierschnaps.

First produced in 1999, their Classick American Bierschnaps is a very unique spirit, as its the only one like it produced in the U.S. It's so unique, that the Federal ATF needed to create a special category for licensing the product. Unlike its German cousin, Classick uses a house made hoppy California style pale ale, similar to Sierra Nevada. He then distills the beer in a custom made Jean-Louis Stupfler copper pot still from France. The resulting product is clear like vodka, but has spicy undertones of the Northwestern Hops and American malt with a dry finish. It's an entirely different spirit than vodka in both flavor and mouthfeel. Bottled at 80 proof, it's a great substitute for vodka or gin in many drinks and makes a particularly good martini.

Over time, Essential Spirits has added other products to the portfolio including Napa Valley grappa, rum, and pear brandy. In addition, they also distill DH Krahn Gin in their pot still under a license agreement. As of press time, the distillery is not open for tours.

K&L Wines, a local merchant, carries several of Essential's products including the Bierschnaps, and also ships to home addresses.

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Locations Mentioned:

Essential Spirits
144 S Whisman Rd # A
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 962-0546

K&L Wines
3005 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA 94061
(650) 364-8544
www.klwines.com

Bierschnaps Cocktails:

Bierchnaps Martini
2 ounces of Bierschnaps
1/2 ounce of dry vermouth
Dash of Angostura Bitters

Shake vigorously with ice, strain, and serve with an olive.

While your host usually prefers a generous pour of vermouth in the martini, it's best to utilize restraint in this cocktail to allow the subtleties of the Bierschnaps to shine through.

Modified Lime Rickey
2 ounces of Bierschnaps
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1 tsp of agave syrup
Dash of Angostura Bitters

Shake vigorously with ice, strain, and serve with a twist.

The agave syrup is a little more exciting than standard cane based simple syrup. Make sure to use a lighter variety, or the agave flavor will dominate. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's usually carry several brands.