Am I right in thinking all vodka is water with alcohol so it makes no difference whether you buy expensive or?

Question

cheap?

Answer 1

ummm, it DOES matter! you get what you paid for. not all vodka is created equal, just like any other beverage, alcohol or not. i prefer russian vodka, but there are some good french & even other eastern european vodkas out there. don't buy cheap stuff you can get at grocery stores & such. yuck!

Answer 2

No, this is a little history about vodka that will make judge for yourself:

Vodka accounts for more than one out of every four bottles of distilled spirits consumed in the U.S.

Because the end product is supposed to be without a distinctive taste, vodka can be made from a fermented mash of just about any carbohydrate-containing material.

Potatoes were traditionally used to make vodka in Russia and Poland, but most vodkas today use grain, usually corn.

The type of charcoal used in flitration and the watersource become extremely important in vodka production.

Over the years, the drinking pattern of the United States consumer has become more widely diversified. Vodka, United States variety, has moved up in sales. The fact that it can be mixed with any flavorful substance that might appeal to the consumer seems to be the motivating factor for its wide acceptance.

Vodka, produced on a mulitcolumn distillation system from a fermented mash of grain at or above 190o proof, must be further treated with charcoal or activated carbon or further refined by distillation in such a manner as to be without character, aroma, or taste.

If any flavoring material is added to the distillate, the vodka is characterized with the name of the flavoring material used.

Answer 3

You are right...in basic principle. Vodka is simply "plain" alcohol that's watered down.

You're not right in that there is no difference. The quality of the "plain" (neutral spirit) alcohol that is watered down makes a big difference. Also, the quality of the water that it's watered down with makes a difference. Where the alcohol comes from, where the water comes from, how the water *and* the alcohol are processed and handled makes a difference. For something as simple as watered down neutral spirits, vodka does have a whole bunch of variables in it that make significant differences.

Answer 4

The manufacturing of vodkas vary greatly starting with the choice of solid ingredients (potatoes, corn, grain, etc.), water source and finally the distilling process.
Some have very subtle additions of glycerol to thicken the texture, some add flavors that are NOT listed on the label in very small quantities to make them stand apart.
In my opinion, Smirnoff Red Label, not considered a chic vodka any more, is the very best value. It is pure and clean without a lot of congeners to muddle my head the next day.

Answer 5

It does matter but only a little. Of all the liquors vodka is the hardest to realize a difference in quality. I went for years in college drinking cheap vodka (mc cormick $11.00 for a 1.75l) and could not tell the difference with that and Grey Goose. Go cheap-o with the vodka and spend it on fine tequilas and whiskeys..... that is where quality shows!

Answer 6

there is a difference for sure, but your choice in vodka also depends on what's important to you and where you are in your life right now.

when i was in college, i drank a lot at a time, so i wanted something cheap, and i could sleep all day the next day, so hangovers weren't as big of a deal.

now that i'm older, i don't drink as much, and i like to treat myself with quality vodka every once in a while. i think it tastes better, goes down smoother, and does not give me as bad a hangover the next day.

it just depends on what your "goal" is: to get smashed or to enjoy an evening cocktail. there's a vodka for every occasion!

Answer 7

A better way to test your theory is to buy the cheapest bottle of vodka you can find and drink a couple glasses of it straight. Make a log of how you feel the next morning. The next night drink some of the good stuff. Note you will feel amazingly better the morning after!

Answer 8

I use to think the same thing but good vodka like Grey Goose is more smooth and gives drinks a much better taste.

Answer 9

No, no, no. Thinking of cheap vodka makes my liver hurt. Good vodka -- distilled more than 4 times -- is smoother (less burn) and, trust me, the next morning is a lot easier.

Answer 10

EWWW.... Cheap $9.99 Generic Vodka is NOT the way to go. Especially with grape soda as a chaser. it will lead to a long night of puking and a taste of rubbing alcohol that WON'T go away. Go for the one with the cool see-through bottle, Grey Goose...or whatever. I prefer Rum over vodka but i kinda miss it....it gets you WAY drunk.