Vodka – The Essential Guide for Vodka Purists is a one-stop shop for lovers of this versatile spirit …but what actually is it?
Vodka is more popular than ever due to the cocktail-drinking trend. It has introduced vodka to a new audience as well as knowledgeable bartenders who appreciate this spirit as a base for some classic drinks.
Eastern Europe and Scandinavia have been the main producers of vodka. Its advantage has been that it can be made from almost any natural ingredient. There are the simple neutral styles, but these days there are more flavoured bottles, too. This opens the door to many more mixed drinks.
The Essential Guide for Vodka Purists tells the story of vodka, both technical distilling, and social history, but it is also a handy recipe book offering a wealth of delicious cocktails. There are classic drinks as well as some contemporary ones. Some are made with just two or three ingredients and others are a little more complex.
List of bars across the globe
Each cocktail is illustrated and can be made with just a few bartending tools. A shaker is worth getting. There is good advice about building cocktails and even about glassware. Travellers will be interested in the list of bars across the globe, and there is even a collection of distilleries one can visit.
There are several must-make cocktails within these delightful pages. My favourites are Scroppino made with lemon sorbet – this is perfect as an alcoholic and drinkable dessert on hot summer days; and a Ginger Martini is my drink of choice for a winter night in by the log fire. Great flavour from that powerful and exotic root.
Vodka – The Essential Guide for Vodka Purists is a book that begs to be used, but those cocktails will encourage the sipper to leaf through those other pages that will put this iconic spirit into international context.
Vodka – The Essential Guide for Vodka Purists
Author: Dave Broom
Published by: Carlton Books
Price: £11.99
ISBN: 9781787391710