8 ms·

How America Fell in Love with Vodka

38 points by coloneltcb 9y ago

AdmiralAsshat 9y ago
Vodka has a great many cooking applications as well. Most liquid "extracts" like vanilla extract are just vanilla beans that have been left to soak in a bottle of vodka for awhile. You could easily make your own that way. The same method works for homemade liquers. Orange peel submerged in vodka for a month will make a flavorful orange liquer. And vodka added to a simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar boiled until the sugar dissolves) and coffee, left to age, will make a yummy homemade Kahlua. Vodka's versatility is its greatest strength.
- kevinconaway 9y ago
  You can even use it to make a great pie crust https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/37-foolproof-pie-dough https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/37-foolproof-pie-d...
  - MegaDeKay 9y ago
    Kenji now steers away from this method: "But to be completely honest, it's one that I don't really use at home that often. With the fat/flour all-butter technique, it's really not necessary—the dough is easy to roll out as-is—and in fact, I've even heard some folks complain that the additional liquid that vodka allows you to add makes for a dough that's too sticky to roll out. If you're a pie crust veteran, you'll find it very odd to work with. There's also the fact that the recipe violates Rule #1 of my home: don't waste alcohol." http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/science-of-pie-7-myths-that-need-to-go-away.html http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/science-of-pie-7-myths-th...
- dpark 9y ago
  Pure grain alcohol, such as Everclear, will generally do those jobs better. I make limoncello with Everclear, which does a much better job of extracting oils and flavors than regular vodka. And it does the job much faster, especially if you have access to 190 proof. Of course you have to dilute down to the proper strength when the extraction is complete.
  - jotm 9y ago
    I don't get it, Everclear is literally vodka (pure grain alcohol), maybe a bit stronger?
    - harryh 9y ago
      Vodka is typically 40% ABV. Everclear is sold in 75.5% ABV and 95% ABV varieties. So, quite a bit stronger.
      - jotm 9y ago
        Ah damn, missed the 1 in front of 90, 90 proof would be 45% :)
    - refurb 9y ago
      A lot stronger with the 190 proof (95%) Everclear. Ethanol works well to extract flavors due to it's lipophilic character (oil-loving). The more dilute it is, the less oil-dissolving power it has. 190 proof alcohol will pull a lot more from something like orange peels than 80 proof.
    - mirimir 9y ago
      I believe that Everclear contains even less contaminants (higher alcohols, esters, ketones, etc) than typical vodka does. I know that 95% reagent-grade ethanol does.
    - abritinthebay 9y ago
      It literally isn't vodka. Everclear is a rectified spirit (pure grain alcohol) Vodka isn't anywhere near as distilled. It's less pure, a lot less. Plus vodka has a ton more water. Any time you create a liqueur you should use rectified spirits (Everclear/Crystal Clear/Golden Grain/etc) not vodka.
      - georgecmu 9y ago
        There's quite a bit of a confusion here. Everclear is a rectified spirit (pure grain alcohol) 'Rectified' refers to the method of distillation, not purity or source. 'Rectified spirit' is not equivalent to 'pure grain alcohol'. The latter can be the former, depending on the type of distillation. The former can be the latter if it's derived from grain (rather than from e.g. potatoes). Vodka isn't anywhere near as distilled. Russian state standard for vodka specifies use of rectified alcohol. This statement doesn't make much sense, as vodka is simply diluted ethanol. Before dilution it has been distilled just as much as any other rectified ethanol. It's less pure, a lot less. Alcohol used in high-grade vodkas typically undergoes extensive filtration beyond distillation. Industrial rectified alcohol will typically contain significantly more contaminants (e.g. fusel oils) unless it's UHP lab grade and is what's used in the crappy cheap vodkas. Any time you create a liqueur you should use rectified spirits (Everclear/Crystal Clear/Golden Grain/etc) not vodka. Depends on the liqueur. Some formulations call for grappa, some for brandy, and clearly will not tolerate a substitution with a rectified spirit.
- MegaDeKay 9y ago
  Indeed, but we use brandy for vanilla extract to add a little more flavor. Back to liquer: fill a jar half full with pitted sour cherries or grapes. Fill the jar the rest of the way to the top with sugar cubes. Add vodka until everything is covered, put on the lid, leave in a dark place, and forget about it for about six months. The liquer you get is spectacular, and the boozy fruit is phenomenal on something like ice cream.
microcolonel 9y ago
Frankly I don't understand why grocery stores don't just sell undenatured purified food-grade ethanol. There's plenty of supply, and if people could be taught how to use it, there would be tonnes of demand. This isn't the 19th century, we all have running water to mix our ethanol with if we want "straight" vodka.
- DrScump 9y ago
  It's apparently quite expensive[0]. Once you get maximum purity that distillation allows, it's not worth the cost to process further just for recreational use. [0] https://www.quora.com/Where-can-you-buy-ethanol https://www.quora.com/Where-can-you-buy-ethanol
- tptacek 9y ago
  Dave Arnold has a spiel about how the best vodka he’s had was diluted potable lab ethanol.
  - dfox 9y ago
    Making drinks from lab grade ethanol seems to be an popular past-time activity for almost any vaguely natural science Ph.D. student I ever known. Usually it also involves fractional destilation of lab grade denatured ethanol (often "specially denatured ethanol" which is somewhat simpler to "dedenaturate") into potable ethanol. It is somewhat notable that physics people tend to end up with simple physical processes for that (pour ethanol on baking tray and bake in baking oven for X amount of time, light it on fire, if flame is not visible you have potable ethanol) while people coming from chemical sciences tend to build incredible complex contraptions from lab glassware (I've seen such contraption which converted normal denatured alcohol into gin or jaegemester-like liquor depending on its software configuration as a continuous process, it was built by obviously bored pharmaceutics Ph.D. students, filled two lab benches and involved two Sun Ultra 5s for computer control)
    - mirimir 9y ago
      Reagent-grade 95% ethanol isn't denatured. Because then it wouldn't be reagent-grade. What we had in biochem labs had tax-exempt labels.
IgorPartola 9y ago
Vodka is a terrible spirit in most respects. I am Ukrainian, but I buck the stereotype. Ideal vodka is pure water with pure ethanol. That is as boring as you can make a beverage. In Ukraine we also had horilka, which is basically spiced vodka. This was not some delicacy, but was historically done by necessity because the many impurities in the vodka had to be masked by strong spice flavors. Handcrafted artisanal vodka is about as much horse manure as “living water”. Would you buy hand crafted artisanal gasonline for your car? Or high purity electrons for your computer to run on? Again, if you can get to 40% ethanol, 60% water, you are good. Who cares how it was made, it’s an artificial product. (Ok some people probably would. After all, they buy $1000 gold cables for their audio equipment.) Personally, I prefer things with actual flavor. Like rum, scotch, or brandy. More flavor is good.
- huhtenberg 9y ago
  Amen. I can only add to this that you never drink vodka for taste. You drink it for the effects. The only two qualities it must be judged on is 1) how quickly and easily it goes down 2) how little hangover it results in. The less you have in vodka the better it is on both points. Hence, comrade Igor's advice is a sound one. Even if it sounds a bit alien.
  - m_mueller 9y ago
    is hangover really depending on impurities? Ethanol it self goes through a poisonous stage when broken down in our digestive system - isn‘t that what‘s causing hangover?
    - chillacy 9y ago
      It can be made worse with impurities, especially those found in wine http://www.businessinsider.com/red-wine-worst-hangovers-2016-8 http://www.businessinsider.com/red-wine-worst-hangovers-2016...
- mtbcoder 9y ago
  > Vodka is a terrible spirit in most respects. It's a terrible spirit in all respects. A good whisky is the choice of the discerning drinker. Vodka is the Budweiser of spirits. Best left to the club crowd and those afflicted with a degenerate palette.

38 points by coloneltcb 9y ago

Vodka has a great many cooking applications as well. Most liquid "extracts" like vanilla extract are just vanilla beans that have been left to soak in a bottle of vodka for awhile. You could easily make your own that way. The same method works for homemade liquers. Orange peel submerged in vodka for a month will make a flavorful orange liquer. And vodka added to a simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar boiled until the sugar dissolves) and coffee, left to age, will make a yummy homemade Kahlua. Vodka's versatility is its greatest strength.

kevinconaway 9y ago
You can even use it to make a great pie crust https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/37-foolproof-pie-dough https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/37-foolproof-pie-d...
- MegaDeKay 9y ago
  Kenji now steers away from this method: "But to be completely honest, it's one that I don't really use at home that often. With the fat/flour all-butter technique, it's really not necessary—the dough is easy to roll out as-is—and in fact, I've even heard some folks complain that the additional liquid that vodka allows you to add makes for a dough that's too sticky to roll out. If you're a pie crust veteran, you'll find it very odd to work with. There's also the fact that the recipe violates Rule #1 of my home: don't waste alcohol." http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/science-of-pie-7-myths-that-need-to-go-away.html http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/science-of-pie-7-myths-th...
dpark 9y ago
Pure grain alcohol, such as Everclear, will generally do those jobs better. I make limoncello with Everclear, which does a much better job of extracting oils and flavors than regular vodka. And it does the job much faster, especially if you have access to 190 proof. Of course you have to dilute down to the proper strength when the extraction is complete.
- jotm 9y ago
  I don't get it, Everclear is literally vodka (pure grain alcohol), maybe a bit stronger?
  - harryh 9y ago
    Vodka is typically 40% ABV. Everclear is sold in 75.5% ABV and 95% ABV varieties. So, quite a bit stronger.
    - jotm 9y ago
      Ah damn, missed the 1 in front of 90, 90 proof would be 45% :)
  - refurb 9y ago
    A lot stronger with the 190 proof (95%) Everclear. Ethanol works well to extract flavors due to it's lipophilic character (oil-loving). The more dilute it is, the less oil-dissolving power it has. 190 proof alcohol will pull a lot more from something like orange peels than 80 proof.
  - mirimir 9y ago
    I believe that Everclear contains even less contaminants (higher alcohols, esters, ketones, etc) than typical vodka does. I know that 95% reagent-grade ethanol does.
  - abritinthebay 9y ago
    It literally isn't vodka. Everclear is a rectified spirit (pure grain alcohol) Vodka isn't anywhere near as distilled. It's less pure, a lot less. Plus vodka has a ton more water. Any time you create a liqueur you should use rectified spirits (Everclear/Crystal Clear/Golden Grain/etc) not vodka.
    - georgecmu 9y ago
      There's quite a bit of a confusion here. Everclear is a rectified spirit (pure grain alcohol) 'Rectified' refers to the method of distillation, not purity or source. 'Rectified spirit' is not equivalent to 'pure grain alcohol'. The latter can be the former, depending on the type of distillation. The former can be the latter if it's derived from grain (rather than from e.g. potatoes). Vodka isn't anywhere near as distilled. Russian state standard for vodka specifies use of rectified alcohol. This statement doesn't make much sense, as vodka is simply diluted ethanol. Before dilution it has been distilled just as much as any other rectified ethanol. It's less pure, a lot less. Alcohol used in high-grade vodkas typically undergoes extensive filtration beyond distillation. Industrial rectified alcohol will typically contain significantly more contaminants (e.g. fusel oils) unless it's UHP lab grade and is what's used in the crappy cheap vodkas. Any time you create a liqueur you should use rectified spirits (Everclear/Crystal Clear/Golden Grain/etc) not vodka. Depends on the liqueur. Some formulations call for grappa, some for brandy, and clearly will not tolerate a substitution with a rectified spirit.
MegaDeKay 9y ago
Indeed, but we use brandy for vanilla extract to add a little more flavor. Back to liquer: fill a jar half full with pitted sour cherries or grapes. Fill the jar the rest of the way to the top with sugar cubes. Add vodka until everything is covered, put on the lid, leave in a dark place, and forget about it for about six months. The liquer you get is spectacular, and the boozy fruit is phenomenal on something like ice cream.

microcolonel 9y ago

Frankly I don't understand why grocery stores don't just sell undenatured purified food-grade ethanol. There's plenty of supply, and if people could be taught how to use it, there would be tonnes of demand. This isn't the 19th century, we all have running water to mix our ethanol with if we want "straight" vodka.

DrScump 9y ago
It's apparently quite expensive[0]. Once you get maximum purity that distillation allows, it's not worth the cost to process further just for recreational use. [0] https://www.quora.com/Where-can-you-buy-ethanol https://www.quora.com/Where-can-you-buy-ethanol
tptacek 9y ago
Dave Arnold has a spiel about how the best vodka he’s had was diluted potable lab ethanol.
- dfox 9y ago
  Making drinks from lab grade ethanol seems to be an popular past-time activity for almost any vaguely natural science Ph.D. student I ever known. Usually it also involves fractional destilation of lab grade denatured ethanol (often "specially denatured ethanol" which is somewhat simpler to "dedenaturate") into potable ethanol. It is somewhat notable that physics people tend to end up with simple physical processes for that (pour ethanol on baking tray and bake in baking oven for X amount of time, light it on fire, if flame is not visible you have potable ethanol) while people coming from chemical sciences tend to build incredible complex contraptions from lab glassware (I've seen such contraption which converted normal denatured alcohol into gin or jaegemester-like liquor depending on its software configuration as a continuous process, it was built by obviously bored pharmaceutics Ph.D. students, filled two lab benches and involved two Sun Ultra 5s for computer control)
  - mirimir 9y ago
    Reagent-grade 95% ethanol isn't denatured. Because then it wouldn't be reagent-grade. What we had in biochem labs had tax-exempt labels.

IgorPartola 9y ago

Vodka is a terrible spirit in most respects. I am Ukrainian, but I buck the stereotype. Ideal vodka is pure water with pure ethanol. That is as boring as you can make a beverage. In Ukraine we also had horilka, which is basically spiced vodka. This was not some delicacy, but was historically done by necessity because the many impurities in the vodka had to be masked by strong spice flavors. Handcrafted artisanal vodka is about as much horse manure as “living water”. Would you buy hand crafted artisanal gasonline for your car? Or high purity electrons for your computer to run on? Again, if you can get to 40% ethanol, 60% water, you are good. Who cares how it was made, it’s an artificial product. (Ok some people probably would. After all, they buy $1000 gold cables for their audio equipment.) Personally, I prefer things with actual flavor. Like rum, scotch, or brandy. More flavor is good.

huhtenberg 9y ago
Amen. I can only add to this that you never drink vodka for taste. You drink it for the effects. The only two qualities it must be judged on is 1) how quickly and easily it goes down 2) how little hangover it results in. The less you have in vodka the better it is on both points. Hence, comrade Igor's advice is a sound one. Even if it sounds a bit alien.
- m_mueller 9y ago
  is hangover really depending on impurities? Ethanol it self goes through a poisonous stage when broken down in our digestive system - isn‘t that what‘s causing hangover?
  - chillacy 9y ago
    It can be made worse with impurities, especially those found in wine http://www.businessinsider.com/red-wine-worst-hangovers-2016-8 http://www.businessinsider.com/red-wine-worst-hangovers-2016...
mtbcoder 9y ago
> Vodka is a terrible spirit in most respects. It's a terrible spirit in all respects. A good whisky is the choice of the discerning drinker. Vodka is the Budweiser of spirits. Best left to the club crowd and those afflicted with a degenerate palette.