Suddenly thirsty...

Someone has good taste.

Grey Goose is the reason I regret boycotting French products.

Ketel One is Dutch, and nearly as good, rosignol.

I've tried it. The consistency seems to vary... sometimes, it's pretty good, other times it seems kind of mediocre.

Grey Goose is excellent. I miss it.

Bleh! KIROV!

I prefer Skyy myself. Added benefit is that it is made right here in the good ol' US of A. Just doing my part to help our economy.

Here in the UK, I pip for Absolut Vodka. A wonderful Swedish spirit.

Popov, in the plastic bottle for me.

Rockport used to be "dry" but you could always take a bottle of wine or a six pack to dinner with you at any of their quaint restaurants. They always wanted to be the anti-Gloucester, (their neighbor) which is pretty much soaked in booze.

7.50 martinis vs byob? My bet is Mr Beecham owns one of those restaurants.

Plastic Bottle Popov? Oh, look who's putting on airs. Around here we drink Johnson Vodka. Comes in bottles made of waxed cardboard.

I shifted away from Belvedere when the quality changed - I swear they changed the recipe - and I'm looking around for new treats. Recent discovery: Fris. Low price point, high quality. Recommended.

Luksosowa.

We have friends that are in the Vodka business and we've done *many* blind vodka tastings with different groups of people and they always end up choosing Luksosowa as their favorite (with Chopin coming in second, and Grey Goose coming in far down the list). The cool thing about Luksosowa is that it's usually 3-4 dollars cheaper than Skyy, but you still get a glass bottle.

Rockport has been dry since long before 1933. And yes, that man does own a local business, and claimed that being "dry" was hurting tourism.

Restaurants were always happy to provide wine glasses to people bringing their own bottle. I actually feel very sad that Rockport is no longer a dry town.

Has no one heard of Hangar One ? It's made in the USA and is gooooood !

Fris is good. Chopin is wonderful. I haven't tried Luksosowa. I've always loved Grey Goose. Tanqueray Sterling is surprisingly good. Absolut is the every day standard. Stoli is too harsh. Skyy has a gorgeous bottle, but the burn is just too harsh. I agree with rosignol: the Ketel One is inconsistent. But I've had it at times when I thought it could stand well with the best in the world.

I sprang for some Colorado branded vodka a few weeks ago, but I haven't yet opened the bottle.

Vodka is the water of life.

PS- Hangar One has great bottles. I haven't tried what's in the bottles yet, though.

Great ads when they came out, too.

I drink Sky because I was told that while it cost more to buy, it cost less the day after. (If you know what I mean?) Something about the way it's made.

This sounds like the place to ask if that is true. Because of allergies, a little goes a long way the next day. During certain times of the year Sky is the only alcohol I can consume. And there are some days when I've got to have something, if only a little (again, if you know what I mean).

Would another brand be better? For those days when cost is not the most important thing with which I'm having to deal.

I bought a bottle of Ciroc and it's great. It's also French and pricey, so your milage may vary.

I saw a brand called Charbay that's made in America the other day, and it looked good, and about the price of Grey Goose.

I'll have to try Lukosowa and Fris now.

scount29c wrote:

"I drink Sky because I was told that while it cost more to buy, it cost less the day after. (If you know what I mean?) Something about the way it's made.

Would another brand be better?
"

How you feel the next day usually comes down to how well the alcohol is filtered. You should try Fris, it's very clean and ususally is within a couple of dollars of Skyy. Also, you might try a potato vodka (such as Chopin or the aforementioned Luksosowa) instead of a grain based vodka...

Skyy's claim to fame is the extra distilling it undergoes gets rid of the conjers (sp?), basically impurities that contribute to hangovers. Some of the other brands may do so now as well.

Chopin if you please. Quite delicious stuff.

Of course, this is assuming a superb bottle of gin isn't available.. *ahem*. As in Junipero or Bombay Sapphire.

But Chopin on the rocks, or over soda and ice on a hot day (could get up to 110 today, though it's about 102 right now). Ahhh. . .is it 4:30 yet?

Goose is crap compared to Charodei, which is the best straight-drinking vodka I've ever had.

I have a soft spot for Popov in the plastic bottles. I got beat liberally around the head and shoulders with one once during a supermarket brawl and the soft bottle prevneted yna latsnig injriues...

Popov - an earthy, dusky tone with a little more than a hint of witch hazel.

A staple of NH 1980s Jim Jones punch parties.

I'm surprised no-one mentioned Monopolowa, made of potatos by Polish expatriates in Vienna. You'll think I'm weird, but I like to put minced fresh garlic in the bottom of the glass and pour the vodka over it. The only thing better with it is anchovy-stuffed olives.