There has been a rise in craft vodkas being produced over the past few years, with small-batch producers taking the liquid to quality and flavour levels never seen before,” he says.

Gone are those wonderful coupe fishbowls that people used to drink gin in,” Borrell adds. “Simple serves and flavoured vodkas are really what we’re looking at.” Vestal has been selling by hand around the world for 9 years prior to a joint venture with Halewood international the UK largest and last family owned spirit company.He also offers some good-natured sarcasm: “As for distillation — there’s a famous Swedish company that I won’t name. They say they offer infinite distillation. Can’t beat infinity! They’ve won the distillation competition.”

Vintage Unfiltered: You may do a double take here, as the nose is like the purest essence of a potato — very earthy, too. But you’ll get something closer to herbaceous mezcal on the palate, albeit one with a creamy mouthfeel and some hints of white pepper and nutmeg. Great chilled in a wine glass, but probably a wonderful base for a dirty martini with a stuffed blue cheese olive. Vodka can be made from either a grain spirit (such as rye or wheat) or potatoes, and some other sources such as corn or grape syrup. Each lends a particular quality to the spirit. With the spirit ruling the category for years now, vodka has been left to struggle in its wake. Premium and ultra-premium vodka volume was down globally by 4.2% CAGR in the five years to 2020, according to data from IWSR. There is no denying gin’s dominance over the spirits category in recent years. According to IWSR, gin is forecast to increase by 4.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) globally. Premium-and-above brands drive a substantive share, with this segment projected to grow by 11.4% CAGR 2021-2025. Flavoured vodka is not exactly a new innovation, but to Borrell, a focus on origin is key. “The differenceSo how to carve out a quality niche and overcome the bias of the bar industry and consumer? We’ll get to that in a moment. The UK Government has since announced 370 new sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. One measure being implemented is an additional 35% import tariff hike on vodka from the country. This idea of vodka having more time in the sun I think will be 100% fuelled by flavoured vodkas,” he says. Vestal Polish Potato Vodka: There’s a real viscosity here, an oily mouthfeel and a surprising and lovely natural sweetness, some vanilla, a bit of mint and a hint of saline on the finish. Ideal for a martini with a twist. Delve into the world of vodka to discover a vast array of styles and flavours. Those in search of a classic should try Belvedere, which stands at the pinnacle of the Polish distilling tradition, or Beluga – an exceptional Russian vodka. Something more experimental comes courtesy of Ciroc; the French vodka is made using snap-frost grapes rather than grain, potatoes or corn.

Neat: Light on the palette with a crisp finish, but not austere, a hint of creaminess. Little spirit heat. Overall, very subtle. Distilling only once to retain the essence of the source ingredients, they’re aiming for a complex spirit that offers a more natural approach to the style of vodka.So I mixed a Martini and had a chat with the founder of Vestal Vodka,William Borrell who lived in Poland for several years, and is based in the United Kingdom.The vodka market is indeed a cluttered one with some of the largest marketing budgets in the spirit world. We have always focussed on our unique approach to vodka production that has inspired large hospitality groups as well as Michelin stared restaurants.A lot of time, wearing our shoe leather and passion for this much maligned spirit has gone into building the brand. Image courtesy of Vestal Vodka Vestal vodka was inspired by the ideas of terroir and vintage , we asked the question what would happen if you planted different potato varieties in different soils much like a wine producer would describe as terroir. We try where we can to be mindful of the environment , our bottle is made from 100% recycled glass , potatoes farmed on a sustainable crop rotation basis and any waste products recycled when possible. But in the case of Vestal Vodka they’ve taken an approach that’s akin to wine making. The source of their water and potatoes ( three are used varieties in this release: Innovator, Asterix and Russet Burbank) are integral and they even offer vintage vodkas from a particular year to emphasise the terroir of that release. This review bottle of their regular blended release.