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RUSSIA

Moscow Mule Also called a Vodka Buck, this vodka-and- ginger cocktail was invented late 1939-early 1940. It was originally served in copper mugs, but you can use a glass. WHAT YOU WILL NEED 4 ounces Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer

The Vodka Belt by Bobby Childs

V odka is a spirit distilled from just about anything, including grain, potatoes, fruit, even sugar (in Europe, however, only potatoes or grains are allowed). It’s usually distilled multiple times to strip away chemicals. Each round of distillation strips away chemicals according to their boiling points. Distillation also strips away flavor, which contributes to vodka’s colorless and nearly flavorless presentation. The chemicals that strip away in the beginning are called heads. The ones at the end are called tails. Tails are the heavier alcohols, and they add what flavor you do taste. We aren’t exactly sure where or when vodka first appeared, though we think it originated in Eastern Europe as early as the late 8 th or early 9 th century. Russia and Poland were among the first countries to distill the stuff and are still the kings of vodka with best-selling brands like Smirnoff (Russian, though now owned by a British company) and Belvedere (Polish). Smirnoff No. 21 is the best selling vodka in the world. Vodka, as I mentioned, can be produced anywhere in the world. Stolichnaya is made in Latvia, Absolut in Sweden. Russian vodka isn’t necessarily better; it’s just more traditional. It’s sort of like bourbon. While bourbon can be produced anywhere in America, the stuff coming out of Kentucky is more traditional. Several distilleries right here on the Gulf Coast are making vodka. The Donner-Peltier distillery in Rouses hometown of Thibodaux, Louisiana, distill Oryza with Louisiana rice. The folks at Atelier Vie distillery in New Orleans make Buck 25 using sugar cane. Vodka is traditionally served neat along the Vodka Belt: Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and the Baltic states — Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. But in the United States, we’re all about the cocktail (the Moscow Mule was invented in Los Angeles). Because vodka has very little flavor, cocktails derived

2 ounces Russian vodka ½ ounce fresh lime juice Slice of lime, for garnish Ice HOW TO PREP

from it really let the other ingredients shine over the spirit. While we’re on the subject of vodka, I should mention gin. Think of gin as vodka’s cousin. Gin sort of starts out as vodka. It is usually distilled from a grain mash. The botanicals are then added, and it is distilled again. These botanicals, the most prominent of which is juniper berry, add the flavors and aromas we associate with gin. Gin is most associated with Great Britain, with heritage brands like Gordon’s, a London dry gin, and Bombay Sapphire dominating the market. (Scottish up-and- comer Hendrick’s was introduced in 1988.) There’s also great gin being produced here locally. Check out Donner-Peltier’s Oryza Gin. It starts out as the same spirit as their vodka, but 11 different botanicals are added. Atelier Vie produces a traditional gin, called Euphrosine #9, and a whiskey barrel-finished reserve with very light whiskey notes.

Fill a Collins glass (a tall narrow glass) with ice. Pour the ginger ale over ice, add the vodka and lime juice, and stir. Garnish with a slice of lime. Black Russian Invented in 1949 by a bartender in Brussels, the name is anod toRussia’s vodka tradition, and an earlier cocktail, the Russian, made with vodka, gin and crème de cacao. WHAT YOU WILL NEED 1 ounce Kahlúa 2 ounces vodka Ice HOW TO PREP Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add the Kahlúa and vodka. Mix and serve. White Russian A creamier version of the Black Russian. Fans of The Big Lebowski will recognize it as the preferred drink of Jeff Bridge’s character, The Dude. WHAT YOU WILL NEED

1 ounce Kahlúa 2 ounces vodka 1 ounce heavy cream Ice HOW TO PREP

Combine Kahlúa and vodka in a dry shaker. Pour into a rocks glass filled with ice cubes. Add a top layer of cream (bartender’s trick: pour the cream over the back of a spoon to keep it from mixing with the alcohol).

The world’s best selling vodka brand is Smirnoff, followed by Absolut. ​

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