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Thursday, September 28, 2006

Product Placement

posted by on September 28 at 21:59 PM

As much as I hate prattling on about a place that’s already gotten plenty of love from the Stranger (particularly one sited a mere three blocks from my house), I would feel criminally negligent if I didn’t let y’all know that Liberty, the new-ish sushi/Internet bar on Capitol Hill, is now, as far as I’m aware, the only bar in Seattle serving the best damn vodka on God’s green earthTito’s Handmade Vodka from Austin, Texas. The web site says it’s micro-distilled six times or some such, but the reason I like Tito’s is because it’s the platonic ideal of vodka—more pure, more nothing than any vodka I’ve ever tasted. (The ideal vodka, of course being one that is absolute in its neutrality, lacking any distinctive flavor, smell or character.) I’m not one to wax ecstatic about a damn bottle of clear liquor, but trust me, Tito’s merits the effusion. Go try it.

RSS icon Comments

1

Sounds like what you really desire is pure grain alcohol, aka Everclear. 190 proof and completely odorless and tasteless.

Unfortunately, also completely unavailable in WA State (unless you know certain people who know certain people, if you know what I mean).

Posted by COMTE | September 28, 2006 10:25 PM
2

Is it really worth drinking flavorless liquor? After making the effort to become a serious drinker, I find bourbon vastly more appealing than vodka, no matter how good. But perhaps you're not serious about drinking?

Posted by YLlama | September 29, 2006 1:37 AM
3

Dude, Erica - what about just drinking water?

Posted by SeattleExile | September 29, 2006 8:12 AM
4

Several times over the years I've bought Vodka(pla)Tonics for women. All it's gotten me has been flaccid strungout drama. Strictly Buttery Nipples and Sex On The Beach from here on.

Posted by Fry Day | September 29, 2006 8:28 AM
5

I'm with you, Erica. Give me a clean vodka on ice and I'll sip on that all night long. Vodka burns clean and leaves one with little or no hangover, if you don't spoil it with tonic...

Posted by ImaginaryDavid | September 29, 2006 8:41 AM
6

if that is what you are looking for, erica, try Crater Lake. it's 10 times charcoal filtered and has that lovely smooth clean taste. really really nice. only a couple places carry it (capitol hill arts center lounge on 12th and a couple places downtown) but the liquor stores all have it for a little over $20/bottle...

Posted by JenMoon | September 29, 2006 11:41 AM
7

Vodka is piss. Drink brown liquor. Drink liquor with soul. Drink liquor that tastes like something.

Ninety-nine out of a hundred vodka drinkers couldn't tell a blind tasting between any high-end plain vodka and Potter's, Cossack, or 3-Star.

Posted by Fnarf | September 29, 2006 11:53 AM
8

I love a crisp Vodka and often complement it with artesianal cheeses. Thanks for the tip on this sushi internet place. Do they have wi-fi?

Posted by Foodie | September 29, 2006 1:25 PM
9

Yes, Liberty has wi-fi.

Posted by ECB | September 29, 2006 5:08 PM
10

I agree with Jenmoon- Crater Lake is excellent. Even more overlooked, however, is Pearl, a five times distilled pleasure from BC with a schizophrenic image problem. I think they have changed their bottle design 5 times in the last 5 years. Regardless, it is my favorite vodka. Hat tip to Tito's, though: Austin is my old stomping ground. I didn't know Tito's was available up here.

Posted by grumpypants | September 29, 2006 5:58 PM
11

I tried vodka and it ain't my thing. I'm a gin guy.

Posted by Gomez | September 29, 2006 7:30 PM
12

Yo, Erica.

There's no doubt that the brown liquor in terms of taste and body would win any contest. In fact, here at Liberty, Robb Sheldon, our head bartender, is a bourbon freak so we have all sorts of really good bourbons that you've probably not ever tasted. And, in fact (when available) we carry the whole Pappy Van Winkle family of bourbons, including the 23 year that's probably the best-tasting liquor that I've ever tried.

That said, last week, we did a blind vodka taste test between these vodkas: Grey Goose, Ketel, Stoli, Luksusowa, Ciroc (it's not really vodka, made from grain or potato, but grapes which I put it in as a wildcard) and our well vodka, Gordon's.

Guess what won? Would you guess Goose? Ketel? Stoli? Luksusowa? Nope. It was the Gordon's!!! 20 people showed up for the tasting, and more people picked Gordon's, and then in second? Ciroc.

In terms of how tasteless vodka is, I have to say that when you are tasting them next to eachother, the tastes do come out.

And, you're right about the taste of Tito's. The taste is so distintively better than anything else that a case can be made that all vodka is not equal.

On that note, we're doing a tasting of the same six (or any other of our many vodkas) for anyone that would like to have a blind taste test. Just ask for the test - but, hopefully not when we're really busy...

Hey Jen, how goes it?

Posted by Liberty | September 30, 2006 6:55 PM

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