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.

Why we’re drinking this: We’re happy to defend vodka. And Vestal, which has been around for more than a decade but only just made its way to our shores this summer, has the unusual distinction of earning a perfect score for its vodka from the famed Difford’s Guide — apparently, the only vodka to ever do so — as well as a 99/100 score from the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) and multiple Double Gold awards last year at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. 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. 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.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. 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.

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. 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. 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. So 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.Union Press Ltd | Wigglesworth House, Fourth Floor, 69 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 9HH, UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7803 2420 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.

There are two ways to make potato vodka — real potato vodka, which is a dying breed, or the other, which utilizes potato chippings in a mash, or even a powdered starch that falls off the potato to make a type of potato ethanol,” says Borrell, who grew to love vodka after spending his teen and early adult summers in Poland with his father, a former Time war correspondent.Neat: Light on the palette with a crisp finish, but not austere, a hint of creaminess. Little spirit heat. Overall, very subtle. What was the thinking behind just distilling the spirit once, so many other vodkas make a thing about multiple distillation? 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