What is Vodka?
Made from grains and potatoes, vodka is a clear, distilled spirit that famously originates from Russia and Poland. Today, it’s made and enjoyed all over the world and is the most popular spirit to use in cocktails and mixed drinks, making it a global bar essential.
You may have heard of triple distilled vodka? Well, some are distilled up to 5 times and it’s this rectification that allows vodka a certain level of smoothness. The more times it’s distilled, the cleaner and crisper the flavour. Vodka requires no aging and is ready to drink right away, however, it is cut with pure water when bottled to lower alcohol percentage.
Vodka is known for its strong, potent, almost medicinal taste. It’s recognised for its lack of distinct flavour and aroma, which is what makes it an excellent cocktail pairing. It’s strength, or heat, as you many have heard, is the burn revealed on the tongue or back of the throat.
The burn is another way of indicating its smoothness and determines the care a distiller puts into creating a clean and filtered vodka. Usually, the lower quality the vodka, the more burn to the mouth and throat! Premium brands tend to be cleaner and cooler.
Vodka Infusions
Our online seasoning suppliers have seen first-hand how popular the flavoured vodka scene is currently. A vast array of flavours are now available across the globe; you name it, it’s probably in production! From chocolate, blue raspberry and salted caramel to novelties such as bacon, hemp and chilli! There’s something for every taste.
Although you can buy ready-made flavoured vodkas, which tend to use natural or artificial flavour extracts, the traditional method is popular for authentic taste! Simply gather your chosen herbs and spices, fruit or whatever it is you’re wishing to use. Pop the vodka and flavouring (cut if needed) into an airtight jar. Seal the lid and shake. Store your infusion in a cool, dark place and shake daily for the duration of the infusion. Once peak flavour is reached, remove the flavouring ingredients and use a fine-mesh strainer to filter into a clean bottle.
Simple right? Just be sure to keep an eye on the infusion times:
- 1-2 hours for hot chilli peppers. Taste test every 30 minutes.
- 3-4 days for most dried or fresh herbs and spices.
- 1 week - for medium flavours like fresh apple, orange, cherry, mango and peaches.
- 2 weeks – for very mild flavours like pineapple, blackberries and lemongrass.
Enjoy using your vodka infusions in drinks, savoury and sweet dishes.
How to Cook with Vodka
At World of Spice online seasoning suppliers, we understand that there’s more to vodka than meets the eye! It’ll only give your recipes a boozy kick if the vodka isn’t cooked. Once heated, the alcohol will evaporate and burn off. It’s worth noting, it will never burn off entirely, but your dish won’t ever be as potent as it would be straight from the bottle. The longer you cook for, the more it will evaporate.
Furthermore, alcohol has a lower freezing point than water, which means if you’re looking to make a frozen dessert with vodka in it, you’ll need to leave it in the freezer for longer.
Aside from the alcohol content, vodka is often used as an emulsifier to bind oil and water! There are plenty of ways you can utilise vodka in cooking and mixology. Here are some of our favourites that work brilliantly:
Sauces: Try using vodka in sauces for pasta, marinades for meats or glazes for seafood. It’ll give the sauce the kick you’ve been looking for, without too much spice.
Sweet Treats: In baking, a splash of vodka stops the gluten from disintegrating. This will result in a binder for mixtures, ensuring a flakier texture in pastries and pie and a thicker, yet fluffy consistency in cookies and cakes. Remember, you can add vodka to chocolates for a boozy kick!
Drinks: Add vodka to any cocktail or mixer for a potent punch. Remember you can always infuse your vodka with other flavours to create delicious, new creations.
Vodka: Bringing Flavours to Life
Put simply, vodka can help to bring out the flavours and aromas of your favourite foods! Many chefs don’t utilise it because they think it could ruin their dishes, but when used correctly, it has the opposite impact.
Incorporating vodka into sauces or marinades is a steadfast way to emphasise the flavours of most cuisines. Vodka heightens the flavours of your food, without adding a completely new element – this is especially the case with tomato based dishes. So long as you heat and evaporate the majority of the pure alcohol, the aroma, bite and tastiness is distinctly noticeable in a vodka infused dish. If you’re looking to cook out the alcohol, stir it directly into the sauce and let it simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Get in Touch
At World of Spice, we are expert online seasoning suppliers. Our produce is known internationally for its delicious and strong flavour. We always deliver the highest quality products, to aid authentic, traditional drinks and cuisine. If you’re looking to buy wholesale herbs and spices online, we can arrange fast and convenient delivery to meet your restaurant requirements.
From bespoke blends to a choice of packaging, complete with custom labelling, our comprehensive service can help you achieve your culinary goals. For more information about our services and what we can offer you, please contact us at orders@worldofspice.co.uk, or feel free to call our team on 01277 633303. We look forward to hearing from you.
