We simply can’t get away from it. Vodka has terroir! While American vodka-centric tastes once favored neutrality, aka lack of flavor, the spirit is gradually reclaiming its identity as a tipple with a personality and a sense of place. Today, as more and more spirits emphasize a locavore sensibility, vodka has followed suit, luring drinkers who seek out authenticity and individuality. Whether used in a cocktail or sipped straight, the selection in this ever-expanding category grows every day, and both bartenders and consumers are noticing the appeal of this not-so-neutral spirit.
Historically, vodka from the “Big Three” vodka-producing countries – Poland, Russia, and Scandinavia – have always had terroir. Whether it was the water being sourced from local springs or the base spirit being distilled from indigenous ingredients, vodkas were defined by where they were made. Wheat, rye, and potatoes were the primary bases, each contributing its own character.
However, while numerous factors influence terroir, including the base distillate, water is perhaps the most important. Tony
Abou-Ganim, one of the leaders in the modern craft cocktail movement and author of Vodka Distilled, notes, “If you understand that 60% of a bottle of 80 proof vodka is water then you should understand the impact that water has on the final distillate.” The minerals, filtration through surrounding rocks, and location all influence the final product.
Many brands are located next to the water they source, seeking out everything from natural springs to artesian wells to lake water. Starting in 2011, Stolichnaya went a step further. Stolichnaya Elit, the brand’s answer to the luxury market, began to release their uber-premium Pristine Waters series – a collection of three limited-edition vodkas defined by their water sources. Elit’s standard bottling uses water from a 200-meter deep artesian well, but Stoli wanted to explore esoteric, untouched, and remote waters from around the world. After much testing and deliberation, they chose three sources – waters from the heart of the Himalayas, from Colico Lake in Chile where a natural spring flows out of the Andes mountains, and New Zealand’s Blue Spring – each known for its pristine water. The $3,000-plus price tag per bottle (and only 300 bottles per edition), goes far beyond the usual luxury vodka price tag, but there is a distinct, albeit subtle differentiation in character. In any case, the concept was intriguing, and it further nudged the terroir conversation forward.
Currently, focusing on the water source is de rigueur for many of today’s artisan vodkas. New Zealand’s Broken Shed sources a portion of their water from the Pisa Mountain range near their hometown of Wanaka (blended with water from the Alps). Known for its specific mineral content, Pisa’s water results in “a water base with a width of palate,” according to Master Distiller Mark Simmonds. Working in concert with the brand’s whey-based distillate (New Zealand is famous for its dairy), the clean minerality of the water produces what Simmonds calls a “noticeably fresh, clean, and pure distillate” that exudes a sense of local “kiwiness.”
Also seeking a clean, pure distillate, Verità employs Alpine spring water sourced from the Dolomites in Italy where the brand’s distillery is located. Francesco Mascio, a third-generation distiller at Distillerie dell'Alpe, explains that “Italian spring water from the Alps is highly valued for several distinctive qualities that contribute to its reputation for purity and taste benefits … [it] undergoes natural filtration as it passes through layers of rock and soil, removing impurities and contaminants.”
While water has become more and more of a selling point for modern vodkas, the base used for the distillate contributes equally to the quest for terroir, as well as helping define the vodka’s flavor and mouthfeel. In the early 2000s, as the cocktail renaissance took hold, a few of the major brands like Sweden’s Absolut, Poland’s Belvedere, and Russia’s Stolichnaya, started introducing more terroir-driven versions of their vodkas. Absolut Elyx, the brand’s ultra-premium offering, was launched in Europe in 2011 and arrived in the United States in 2013. The vodka is made from 100% hand-selected, single estate wheat, which is grown within a 15-mile radius of Åhus, the brand’s home.
Much like Elyx, Belvedere has explored Single Estate iterations that were specifically created to evoke the terroir of the rye grown in the disparate regions of Lake Bartężek and Smogóry Forest. Using Dankowski wheat, the grain clearly reflects the area in which it is grown. Bartężek’s chilly winters blanket the rye in snow, resulting in a delicate, citrus-y style. In contrast, Smogóry Forest experiences shorter winters and sunny, long summers, which lead to a more muscular, savory quality. And, just recently, Belvedere has continued its terroir-based expressions in launching Belvedere 10. Matthew Pomeroy, Global Director of Education, Advocacy, Hospitality and Liquid Development at Belvedere Vodka, describes the spirit's terroir emphasis as a product of "the single harvest of one rye from a single organic field alone.”
Smaller companies distinguish themselves in a similar manner, often choosing products grown on their own farms. David John Souza, whose family has farmed in California’s San Joaquin Valley for over 100 years, gathers the farm’s 100 percent estate-grown sweet potatoes to produce Corbin Cash vodka. The region is known for producing an exceptional version of this crop, which adds a whisper of sweetness and a velvety texture. In Vermont, Barr Hill uses three pounds of local, raw honey in each bottle. And, across the pond in West Dorset, England, Black Cow vodka sources the whey from their grass-fed dairy cows, much like Broken Shed does.
Whether it’s the water or the base distillate or even the yeast produced in fermentation before distillation, the elements that emphasize terroir are only limited to accessibility and imagination. Originally defined by the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau as “a neutral spirit … without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color,” vodka has a new identity. Starting in 2018, the new definition still categorizes vodka as a neutral spirit, but notably eschews the phrase “without distinctive character.”
Today, vodka has become something altogether different and often surprisingly complex. Like other spirits emphasizing a local aesthetic, vodka brands can differ vastly. In doing so, each offers its own nuances that appeal to different palates and elevate different cocktails. The once flavorless spirit we drank for decades now invites curiosity and exploration. We not only want character in vodka (and all of our spirits really), we demand it.
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