Despite its status as a bar staple, vodka has a reputation for tasting like, well, nothing. If that’s the case, how does the consumer differentiate between vodka brands at the liquor store?
TikToker and alcohol industry whiz Trevor (@everythingboozie) gave a terrific breakdown and peek behind the curtain of all things vodka in this video which has racked up nearly 640,000 views.
@everythingboozie Heres the 101 on vodka!! #everythingboozie #vodka #fyp ♬ original sound – EVERYTHINGBOOZIE
From the vodka section of the liquor store, Trevor starts his breakdown. “Vodka is made from anything from potatoes to wheat…anything that has a starch and sugar combined,” he says. “The key with vodka is to have a flavorless, odorless spirit. In order for that to happen, companies will distill it multiple times—5x distilled, 10x distilled, 10x filtered. The reason they do that is to bring down the ‘flavor’ of vodka and get rid of that rubbing alcohol flavor.”
Distillation refers to the process in which undesirable elements are filtered from the product. The more times the spirit is purified, aka distilled, the better your vodka will come out. So, Trevor says, creating the best unflavored vodka “flavor” means removing as much flavor as possible. “Vodka’s main goal is to make other things alcoholic,” he notes.
As far as flavored vodkas are concerned, Trevor says infusion of natural flavors will bring a more subtle taste to the neutral spirit vs artificially adding flavor. In fact, flavored vodkas typically denote a lowering of alcohol content and a rise in the sugar content. Trevor recommends higher proof flavored vodkas. “I go for the ones with the high alcohol percentage (40%) because they don’t have as many of the high sugars like a 30% would, thus causing the horrible, horrible hangovers,” he explains.
Many folks often say it’s the sugar that causes the hangover, not the alcohol. But the truth is, it’s both! Why is this? Both alcohol and sugar dehydrate humans and both have to be processed by the liver. Luckily, there are products that can help with hangovers.
Trevor caps off his video by stating, “Your key takeaways for vodka is find something that is distilled multiple times, and filtered multiple times, and that’s going to reduce that alcohol burn and lead to a better tasting vodka. Also, steer clear of things with low alcohol percentages.”
Hangover remedies are a time-honored internet tradition. People have tried sex, pills, and even pears to ward off the consequences of a long night of drinking. Some even swear by the ramen treatment.
The Daily Dot reached out to Trevor via TikTok comment for further information.