For any self respecting Martini lover it would be amiss to dismiss out of hand the most popular spirit by volume used in the iconic cocktail: vodka. Very cherry mouthfeel without the overpowering sweetness that is characteristic of cherry liqueurs - the vodka offers brings a touch of dryness. The base vodka is made with potatoes, which is distilled and filtered just the one time, to keep the character of the potatoes intact.

The gin craze is alive and well, and outside the USA is becoming the default spirit of choice for the cocktail. William Borrell is the founder of Polish spirits brand Vestal Vodka, and owner of two London cocktail bars, Ladies and Gents, and Crossroads. 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.The soil is equally important and we use a variety of fields that are ploughed by horse as this produces a better potato.

A densely fruity flavoured vodka here from the Vestal range, packed to the brim with black cherry decadence. The UK Government has since announced 370 new sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine.Just like wines, Vestal release their drinks with vintages, and with the region where the potatoes were grown listed up-front, as these factors affect the resulting spirit. He also offers some good-natured sarcasm: “As for distillation — there’s a famous Swedish company that I won’t name. Something more experimental comes courtesy of Ciroc; the French vodka is made using snap-frost grapes rather than grain, potatoes or corn. The vodka market is indeed a cluttered one with some of the largest marketing budgets in the spirit world.