Absolutly not

While I'm on the subject, what is it with the freaking vodka label queens who tout Absolut and Stoli as the be-all and end-all and think they are cool, or somehow impressice, by ordering labels such as Grey Goose? (A Grey Goose Cape Cod? If a vodka is supposed to taste so good as to merit the price tag, why mix it with cranberry juice?)

It's all just marketing, people. Grey Goose wasn't some new vodka which tasted so smooth it rose to the top and became expensive-- it is just another brand from an old company created to be marketed as high-end. Whether it merits the reputation or not.

The same label queens who tout Absolut turn up their noses at Smirnoff. This cracks me up because in Europe, particularly Scandanvia, Absolut is the swill and Smirnoff is the label of choice. It's all in the branding. Personally (with the notable and detestible exception of the black cheery and cranberry flavors) I I believe that the Smirnoff Twisted flavors taste much less artifical than the Absolute "infused" options. And as much as I like to support local businesses, the HANGAR vodka flavors taste like PEZ.

To wit, I love this ad from 42 Below. 42 Below won a prestigious vodka taste test, and in the same taste test Absolut was the clear bottom of the barrel (if vodka were made in barrels).

Larger, legible version here.



In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I am a steady "mandarin and soda" drinker. So much so it says so on my calling cards. These are being replaced with Wilson Hardcastle: Vodka soda, with a twist of limelight.