I admit it, I’m a vodka snob. Not because I have such discerning tastes, but because I hate a hangover, and I like to drink a lot of vodka. Nothing better to me than a (or some) nice, crisp, straight up, vodka martini just a little dry. Must have three olives, an even amount is bad luck, you know. (Learned that one from an old time bartender friend, who served them when it was still okay to have martini working lunches.)

To me, the vodka cannot taste too starchy or sting like rubbing alcohol when it touches my lips. Obviously, as a martini drinker, I like a vodka that I can drink straight. I find the starchier and less smooth the vodka, the greater the hangover. Continue reading →