Reyka

Reyka is the first vodka distilled in Iceland. The word
"Reyka" derives from the ancient Icelandic word for steam -
It is geothermic steam drawn from the center of the earth
that powers Iceland's first and only vodka distillery (making
it the only eco-friendly vodka on the planet). Much of this
can be seen on a virtual tour of Iceland.

This hand crafted small batch vodka uses water drawn from a
lava field over 4,000 years old, that requires no treatment
or demineralization before it is blended with the vodka.
After distillation in the Carter-Head Still they filter it
through lava rock collected from a local volcanic fields
giving the vodka its characteristic Icelandic flavor. Water
used for Reyka is so pure that Volvic bottled water has a
content of dissolved solids that's five times higher than
Reyka's, Evian's level is nearly 15 times higher.

Smirnoff

Smirnoff is a brand of vodka now owned and produced by British
drinks company Diageo. Products under the Smirnoff brand,
which began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Piotr
Arsenieyevich Smirnov, are now distributed in 130 countries
and includes flavored vodka and malt beverages. In March 2006
Diageo North America claimed Smirnoff vodka to be the best
selling distilled spirit brand in the world[1].Piotr Smirnov
first founded his vodka distillery in Moscow in
the 1860s, under the trading name of PA Smirnoff. He died in
1910 and was succeeded by Vladimir Smirnov. The company flour
ished and produced more than 4 million cases of vodka per year.

During the October Revolution, the distillery was confiscated
and the family had to flee. Vladimir Smirnov re-established
the factory in 1920 in Istanbul. Four years later he moved to
Lwow (formerly Poland, now Lviv, Ukraine) and started to sell
the vodka under the contemporary French spelling of the name,
"Smirnoff". The new product was a success and by the end of
1930 it was exported to most European countries. An additional
distillery was founded in Paris in 1925.

In the 1930s Vladimir met Rudolph Kunett, a Russian who had
emigrated to America in 1920. The Kunett family had been a
supplier of spirits to Smirnoff in Moscow before the
Revolution. In 1933 Vladimir sold Kunett the right to begin
producing Smirnoff vodka in North America. However, the
business in America was not as successful as Kunett had hoped.
In 1938 Kunett couldn't afford to pay for the necessary sales
licenses, and contacted John Martin, president of Heublein,
who agreed to buy the rights to Smirnoff.

Kryshtal Etalon

Kryshtal Etalon is a vodka distilled from wheat and rye and
made in Belarus. Transparent shiny alcoholic drink with
characteristic vodka taste and aroma. Alkohol content-40%.
Vodka is produced from high-quality purified alcohol
“Kryshtal Super Luxe” and softened water processed with
black silicon. At the international competitions - tastings
vodka "Etalon" is awarded with 8 gold, 3 silver and 1
bronze medals, the winner of competition "the Best product
of the Republic of Belarus 2004", "the best Belarusian
products in the market of the Russian Federation 2006".
It is distilled four times and filtered
just once, using a unique and patented method, which leaves
the vodka crystal clear but without any reduction in the
flavour or aroma, according to its label.

Minsk Kristall is a well known distillery in Belarus and is
one of the oldest vodka producers in the former USSR, having
been in operation since 1893. With a population of around
10 million, Belarus is the fifth largest consumer of vodka
in the world, with annual consumption of over 14.5 million
cases, much of it produced by Minsk Kristall.

Finlandia

Finlandia is a Finnish vodka produced from six-row barley by
the Altia distillery in Ilmajoki. Of all Finnish high-alcohol
drinks, it is the brand name that most foreigners associate
with the country. Finlandia was launched in Scandinavia in
1970 and in the United States in 1971. Finlandia is now the
top imported vodka in Russia and one of the largest in Poland.
It is the sixth-largest premium vodka in the world, according
to its producers.

It has very similar properties as the popular Koskenkorva
clear spirit drink, being in fact made with the same raw
alcohol ingredient.However, it has a slightly higher
proof, 80, and lacks the small amount of sugar as in
Koskenkorva. Even these minor modifications to the recipe
result in a markedly dryer taste.

The design of the Finlandia vodka bottle (1970-2000) was
among the most famous works of the celebrated Finnish
designer and sculptor Tapio Wirkkala.

Today the Finlandia vodka brand is wholly owned by
Brown-Forman Corporation, an American company that completed
its purchases in stages from 2000 to 2004. The contract
between Altia and Brown-Forman determines that Altia remains
the sole producer of Finlandia until at least 2017.

Cooranbong vodka

Derived from the Aboriginal word for "water over rocks,"
CooranBong is the first super premium vodka distilled
from Australian grapes in the world. Using select hand-picked
Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Barossa Valley,
CooranBong emphasizes a unique 10x distilling process. The
logo borrows from ancient Aboriginal artwork, emphasizing the
number four and its value towards the elements, seasons and
cardinal directions amongst others.

Taking advantage of the non-existence of a definition of
vodka in many countries, Cooranbong follows a trend seen
with Ciroc and is distilled from grapes.

CooranBong Slogans

* "Pure Australian"
* "The Aussie Wine Drinker's Vodka"

So far in 2008, CooranBong has been the recipient of two
silver medals. Its first medal was awarded for superior
packaging design at the San Francisco World Spirits Competiton.
The second, and most recent, medal was presented for exceptional
taste by the Internation Wine and Spirits Competition in London.
Currently, CooranBong is available for distribution in
California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. Eight new states are
expected to be added by the end of 2008.

Bombora Vodka

Bombora Vodka
Aboriginal for "reef," and surf talk for "massive wave," Bombora Vodka is a premium brand of Australian vodka. Bottled up in Surfers Paradise with world-renowned grapes from the Barossa Valley and purified water of the Great Artesian Basin, Bombora achieves a unique smoothness through these ingredients and a 5x distillation process. It naturally evokes the Australian lifestyle of surf and sun. In 2006, Bombora captured the World’s Best Premium Vodka award in San Francisco. Most recently, it received a silver medal at the 2008 International Wine and Spirits Competition in London.

Bombora Slogans

• "It's Smooth Down Under"
• "It's Big Down Under"
• "It's Wet Down Under"
• "It's Perfect Down Under"


Currently, Bombora is available for distribution in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas.

Vodka

Vodka is a distilled beverage. It is a clear liquid which consists of mostly water and ethanol purified by distillation — often multiple distillation — from a fermented substance, such as grain (usually rye or wheat), potatoes or sugar beet molasses, and an insignificant amount of other substances such as flavorings or unintended impurities.
Vodka usually has an alcohol content of 35% to 50% by volume. The classic Russian, Lithuanian and Polish vodka is 40% (80 proof). This can be attributed to the Russian standards for vodka production introduced in 1894 by Alexander III. According to the Vodka Museum in Moscow, Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist, found the perfect percentage to be 38. However, since spirits in his time were taxed on their strength, the percentage was rounded up to 40 to simplify the tax computation. At strengths less than this, vodka drunk neat (without ice and not mixed with other liquids) can taste "watery", while strengths above 40% may give the taste of vodka more "burn". Some governments set a minimum alcohol content for a spirit to be called "vodka". For example, the European Union sets a minimum of 37.5% alcohol by volume.
Although vodka is traditionally drunk neat in the Eastern European and Nordic countries of the "Vodka Belt", its popularity elsewhere owes much to its usefulness in cocktails and other mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary, the Screwdriver, the vodka tonic, vodka martini, and most recently vodka red bull.