It was Stoli and cranberry juice mixed roughly 50/50.

I'm a tito's guy myself. 27 bucks for a handle here. if I want to spend less I'll get a handle of kirklands for 13 at Costco.

There's more to vodka than the taste per say, there's also the consistency, the smell, etc. I'm not a huge fan of Grey Goose, it's the de-facto overfancy overpriced vodka. Belvedere, on the other hand, has a lovely mouthfeel, good flavor and terrific smoothness. Polish vodkas are some of the best.

Growing up with Soviet factory-made vodka has kind of clowded my judgment, but the favorite standby to this day is Stoli. Smirnoff is ok, but it's a little harsher and more mediciny tasting than it should be.

 

If you're going to do a DBT with vodka, you can't just serve one shot after another, at room temperature. I say serve two or three shots, one chilled, one regular, one warm (nasty, but it will bring out some of the flaws); have a palate cleanser and some time between rounds; due it over a course of a few days if possible, to minimize the effects of intoxication. And finally, don't just spit the damn vodka out - this ain't no wine tasting.

It was Stoli and cranberry juice mixed roughly 50/50.

 

Like the way it was consumed.  50% by me and 50% by everyone else. 

I'm a tito's guy myself. 27 bucks for a handle here. if I want to spend less I'll get a handle of kirklands for 13 at Costco.

Not sure if this bit of alcoholic folklore is true or not but I hear from my boozer friend that Titos actually buys shit vodka then filters it

I'm a tito's guy myself. 27 bucks for a handle here. if I want to spend less I'll get a handle of kirklands for 13 at Costco.

The shady stuff we used to drink in the Eire was Scottish vodka, General something or another. 20 Euro a handle... never good when something is that cheap

I'm a tito's guy myself. 27 bucks for a handle here. if I want to spend less I'll get a handle of kirklands for 13 at Costco.

 

It's about $18 at Trader Joe's.  Hope that there is one nearby to you.

Not sure if this bit of alcoholic folklore is true or not but I hear from my boozer friend that Titos actually buys shit vodka then filters it

I've never heard of that.  My understanding is that they distill their own corn-based vodka.  I think they've only gotten popular in the last 5 or so years.

 

 

The shady stuff we used to drink in the Eire was Scottish vodka, General something or another. 20 Euro a handle... never good when something is that cheap

Ya the $13 one isn't anything amazing, but I think it's just fine for mixed drinks with friends.  I've done informal comparisons between it and other cheap vodkas and like this one more.  Kirkland also sells a smoother vodka for a little under $30 (handle) that's supposedly rebranded Grey Goose.

 

It's about $18 at Trader Joe's.  Hope that there is one nearby to you.

Handle or a fifth?  That's about the price of a fifth here in LA.

Edited January 11, 201313 yr by n3rdling

I had been carrying around that weird guitar box full of Kevin's whisk(e)y for hours in addition to whatever number of beers and other random stuff I had that night. And I know my lack of memory cannot be trusted.

It was Stoli and cranberry juice mixed roughly 50/50.

If by 50/50 you mean 80/20 then I agree.

Like the way it was consumed.  50% by me and 50% by everyone else. 

 

Bomborra stands out...so does Sobieski..independent of price. Mind you im the guy who bought Louis XIII cognac and couldnt tell a difference...

I've never heard of that.  My understanding is that they distill their own corn-based vodka.  I think they've only gotten popular in the last 5 or so years.

Handle or a fifth?  That's about the price of a fifth here in LA.

 

Actually it was JP who said that he'd heard that Tito's might be filtered bulk vodka, not me.

 

That price was for a fifth.  Sorry, I missed the "handle" part.

I can generally taste the difference. The bad has a certain taste to me that's just absent in good vodka. Favorite cheap stuff is still Russian Standard and if I could get Karlsson's here, that would be my premium go-to.

My 2 cents: I have tried the brita filter trick with crappy product and the change is not insignificant. 5 runs through a normal, disposable filter got rid of most of the harsh, nasty flavor. The only cost was an hour of my time and a filter that now makes water taste like vodka.

You really should use a separate filter for that.  Does it make it taste like good vodka or bad vodka?

 

The only cost was an hour of my time and a filter that now makes water taste like vodka.

(squints)

 

Not sure if kidding or win.

 

EDIT:  lollers, if you type "brita filter" and let google suggest searches, the 3rd choice (2nd if you don't include "brita filter" itself), is "brita filter vodka".  Apparently there was a Mythbusters episode.

In soviet russia room temperature is colder than outside. 

I know I'm late to this particular party, but in Soviet Russia, vodka tastes you.

The filter made vodka taste good and water taste bad. Had to get rid of it. Couldn't have people thinking I was drinking at work.