new uber premium vodkas

Here at Urban Monarch headquarters, you’re as likely to find a bottle (or two.. or three) of decent vodka in the freezer as you’d be to find ice cream or frozen left overs.  Okay, far more likely in fact.  For that reason, news of a dozen new(ish) uber-premium vodkas is welcome indeed.  In the coming week’s we’ll be requesting samples for in-depth review.  For now, here’s a brief introduction.

To begin; some thoughts on the changing shape of vodka base ingredients

The most noble and rare grapes in the world aren’t just for making fine wines anymore, says Jean-Charles Boisset, president of Sausalito,

California-based importer Boisset America. His family also owns the eponymous Burgundian negociant firm, and his recently launched Idol vodka started out as hand-harvested pinot noir and chardonnay grapes from vineyards in the region’s fabled Cote d’Or. “It’s a vodka for wine lovers,” Boisset, 36, says.

Idol is one of dozens of new, $25-and-up brands that are aiming to capture a share of the wildly overcrowded vodka market, sometimes by using unusual ingredients. In the past few months, I’ve tried entries made from maple sap, Florida wildflower honey and Hudson Valley apples. Even — and this is not a mistake — soy.

Next up, the controversy surrounding calling non grain/potatoe based spirits ‘vodka’:

These nontraditional vodkas are stirring up a serious flap in the EU. Countries like Finland and Poland want only spirits made from grain or potatoes to be able to carry the word vodka on their labels.

The source article also mentions the astonishing profit margins on UM’s favorite spirit:

The reason for the deluge of brands is profit,’’ says Paul Pacult, publisher of Spirit Journal. “It costs about 95 cents to $1.25 to produce the liquid in the bottle. Every time I think there can’t be another angle, along it comes. People buy into the image.’’

Finally, some thoughts on new ‘eco friendly / green’ vodkas:

Ecofriendly organic vodka is another trend, aimed at environmentally concerned consumers who want what they drink to reflect their values. Colorado’s Vodka 14 promises its five organic grains and pure Rocky Mountain spring water “capture the rarefied majesty of the highest peaks in the Rockies, the Fourteeners.’’ California’s Square One Organic Spirits contributes a part of its vodka profits to green causes.

A dozen uber-premiums to try:

• Hendrix Electric ($30; U.S.; corn and rye)
• Idol ($30; France; grapes) 
• Jean-Marc XO ($55; France; wheat)
• Ocean Organic ($40; U.S.; corn and rye)
• Peureux Perfect 1864 ($40; France; wheat)
• Reyka ($26; Iceland; grain)
• Roberto Cavalli ($60; Italy; grain)
• Roth California ($40; U.S.; grapes)
• Square One Organic ($35; U.S.; rye)
• Stolichnaya Elit ($60; Russia; wheat)
• Xellent ($35; Switzerland; rye)

Read descriptions of these 12 and more about the uber-premium trend at India Times