One of the most interesting assessments CHEERS magazine conducted a few years ago was a vodka tasting. After tasting a line-up of around 10 vodkas the consensus was that this spirit is not as neutral as expected. It all came down to the product used to distill the vodka.

Although the popular assumption is that all vodka comes from potatoes, this could not be further from the truth. Most major vodka brands are either grain based or grape based, with only a handful actually distilled from potato or even sugar beet!

Swedish brand Absolut is grain based, as is Skyy the American vodka brand, Belvedere is grain – Polish rye specifically, Grey Goose – French winter wheat, Dutch Ketel One is also wheat-based and that all-time favourite and top-seller, Smirnoff is from neutral grain spirit. Ciroc is distilled from French grapes while Russian Bear is from molasses. (And despite its name it’s a wholly South African product, part of the Edward Snell stable, once based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal which explains the molasses connection …) 

Swedish brand Absolut is one of the most recognised when it comes to flavoured vodka. They’ve been doing range extensions for years. February 2022 saw the well-recognised product get an image overhaul with bold colour bands and more graphic typography as part of its quest to constantly drive innovation in quality vodka. As Absolut stated when announcing the changes: “The second chapter of the restage, which follows its significant design update in 2021, combines Absolut vodka’s crafting expertise with world-class flavourists to bring a new harmonised range of fresh, true to the fruit flavours to market.

“These new updates centre on creating a clean, true to fruit taste, made to enhance any mixer into the perfectly balanced drink, whether prepared by professional bartenders or at home by the consumer themselves.”

The flavours which were slightly tweaked were Mandarin, Vanilla, Mango, Citron, Peach, Raspberri and Pear – developed with all natural ingredients and no sugar added. The Absolut team of sensory experts also differentiated the alcohol by volume levels with some (citrus) at 40% and others, the sweet and spicy flavours, at a lower 38% level.

This authenticity and genuineness of the flavours is important to consumers. Many brands have foundered when introducing brand extensions because the flavoured ones sometimes taste unnatural or fake. The biggest culprit in this regard is vanilla! Coffee and caramel vodka don’t have the same problem simply because people are more forgiving and expect it to taste very sweet and not as good as the “real” or original flavour.

When it comes to extensions like raspberry, citrus, mango, passionfruit or even pineapple, that ersatz note is jarring for consumers. They want it to be as natural and real as possible.

Both Ketel One and Smirnoff somewhat hedged their bets by not having a single note come through in their flavoured versions. Ketel One offers botanical grapefruit & rose, cucumber & mint or peach & orange blossom. It must be noted that these are not available locally, along with their Oranje and Lemoen variants.

Smirnoff, however, is on the shelf locally and its two new flavours – raspberry, passionfruit & lime or pineapple, cranberry and lemon – are called Infusions. Also interesting to note is that like Tanqueray’s popular Flor de Sevilla product which is not labelled as a gin like the “mothership brand”, these Smirnoff Infusions are also identified as Spirit Aperitifs since they are lower in alcohol at 30% alcohol by volume.

Russian Bear’s alternate flavours include wild berry, passionfruit, pineapple and vanilla while Ciroc has introduced the Summer Citrus flavour variant to tie in with the warmer season. Part of their full international range are mango, pineapple, apple (imagine mixing an appletini with this), vanilla, pomegranate, coconut, red berry, watermelon and peach.

No matter how they’re enjoyed, with lemonade, soda or tonic water or fresh fruit juices, these vodka variants certainly tickle the tastebuds and make summer’s leisure time more enjoyable.