Belvedere Vodka

Belvedere is a Polish vodka made entirely from rye, specifically Dankowskie rye, and it bottles at 40% ABV. The grain sets it apart from the many vodkas built on wheat, corn or potato. Rye usually gives a vodka a little more body and a faint peppery, slightly spicy edge, along with a soft, rounded texture. Expect a dry, composed spirit with a creamy feel on the palate and a clean finish, rather than a neutral, flavorless one. It is an unflavored vodka, so the character comes from the grain and the distilling, not from added ingredients. The production details help explain the texture. The vodka is run through a four-column still process, and the distillery uses water from wells on its own grounds to bring the spirit down to bottling proof. It is charcoal filtered before bottling. The name translates to "beautiful to see", and the brand arrived in the US in 1996 positioned as a luxury vodka. Because the spirit has real grain character, it is worth tasting neat before you commit it to a cocktail. For serving, chill the bottle well in the freezer or serve it over ice. A neat pour in a chilled glass is the clearest way to taste the rye. In a classic Martini, stirred with ice and finished with a lemon twist or an olive, the vodka's weight and light spice stay noticeable instead of disappearing behind the vermouth. In a Moscow Mule, with ginger beer and fresh lime over ice in a mug or tall glass, the rye holds up against the ginger's heat. A Bloody Mary can use the same peppery backbone, since the spirit complements tomato, horseradish and celery salt. Mixed drinks that are more delicate or sweeter also work. A Cosmopolitan, shaken with cranberry, lime and orange liqueur, benefits from a vodka with enough structure to keep the tart fruit from running away with the drink. An Espresso Martini, shaken hard with coffee liqueur and fresh espresso, is another good use, with the creamy texture of the spirit rounding out the bitterness of the coffee. If you are mixing with strongly flavored ingredients, a mid-priced vodka will do the job, but for drinks where the spirit is the main component, such as a Martini or a vodka on the rocks, a bottle like this one shows the difference.