Vodka
Vodka is spirit made from a farmed crop, usually grain or potatoes, distilled and refined so that the taste of that crop is deliberately reduced. Under the retained Regulation (EC) 110/2008 its minimum is 37.5% ABV and it may not be given a predominant flavour, which separates it from flavoured vodka and from gin; our recipes count it at 40%. In a mixed drink it adds strength and body while the other ingredients carry the taste.
Quick Facts
Store sealed at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Can be chilled or frozen for service without affecting quality.
None of the 14 listed allergens. Often distilled from grain, but distillation removes gluten, so it is not labelled as a gluten allergen.
About Vodka
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Clean, with little aroma; the raw material shows in texture more than flavour: wheat soft, rye with an edge, potato heavier.
The law defines vodka by what it takes away
GB spirit drink law describes vodka as spirit of agricultural origin, from potatoes, cereals or other crops, distilled or rectified so that the character of the raw material and of fermentation is selectively reduced. It may be redistilled or filtered through activated charcoal, its methanol is limited, and its only flavourings are those already in the distillate. Nothing under 37.5% ABV qualifies.
Flavour is where vodka ends and its neighbours begin
Give a vodka a predominant flavour and it becomes flavoured vodka, its own category, which may also be sweetened and coloured. Give spirit a predominant juniper flavour and it is gin. The table sets out what each brings to a mixed drink.
Vodka against the clear spirits it is swapped with
Vodka
- Flavour rule
- No predominant flavour
- Minimum strength
- 37.5%
- Sweetening
- Not as a flavour
- Job in a mixed drink
- Strength and texture
Flavoured vodka
- Flavour rule
- A predominant added flavour
- Minimum strength
- 37.5%
- Sweetening
- Allowed
- Job in a mixed drink
- The named flavour
Gin
- Flavour rule
- Predominantly juniper
- Minimum strength
- 37.5%
- Sweetening
- Dry only at 0.1 g/L or less
- Job in a mixed drink
- Botanicals and a dry edge
White rum
- Flavour rule
- May not be flavoured
- Minimum strength
- 37.5%
- Sweetening
- Caramel for colour only
- Job in a mixed drink
- A light cane note
| Spirit | Flavour rule | Minimum strength | Sweetening | Job in a mixed drink |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodka | No predominant flavour | 37.5% | Not as a flavour | Strength and texture |
| Flavoured vodka | A predominant added flavour | 37.5% | Allowed | The named flavour |
| Gin | Predominantly juniper | 37.5% | Dry only at 0.1 g/L or less | Botanicals and a dry edge |
| White rum | May not be flavoured | 37.5% | Caramel for colour only | A light cane note |
Our recipes mostly want it unnoticed
Our lines describe vodka the same way again and again: strength without flavour. In the Espresso Martini it leaves the coffee in charge; in the Moscow Mule ginger beer and lime do the talking; in the Bloody Mary the seasoning carries the drink. Only where vodka is nearly all of it, as in the Vodka Martini, does the choice of bottle matter much. A flavoured vodka in any of these changes the drink more than a change of brand would.
Using Vodka
Usage
We use it in 46 recipes. The smallest pours are the 15ml shares in the Long Island Iced Tea and its cousins; the largest are 60ml, in the Vodka Martini, the Vodka Gimlet and the Vodka Sour. In small amounts it supplies strength; where it fills the glass, its texture and grain begin to show.
Pro Tip
To find a vodka's character, taste it at room temperature beside water, then cold from the freezer. Warm, the raw material shows: wheat soft and sweet, rye with an edge, potato heavier. Cold, those differences shrink, which is why freezer vodka suits a Martini and room-temperature vodka a tasting.
Top Tips
- Spend more where the vodka fills the glass. In a Vodka Martini the bottle shows; in a long glass of orange juice a mid-priced one does the job.
- Read the raw material on the label. Under Regulation (EC) 110/2008, vodka not made from grain or potatoes must say what it is produced from.
- Keep a bottle in the freezer for stirred and neat drinks. At 40% a domestic freezer will not freeze it, and the cold thickens its texture.
- Keep flavoured vodkas for the recipes that ask for them. Their sugar and flavour change a drink balanced on plain vodka.
Production Method
Fermented grain, potatoes or other agricultural crops distilled or rectified to high strength so the raw material's character is reduced, sometimes redistilled or treated with activated charcoal, then diluted to bottling strength.
More to explore
Common Questions
What is vodka made from?
Is vodka flavourless?
How strong is vodka?
Should vodka be kept in the freezer?
Is vodka gluten free?
What is the difference between vodka and gin?
Can I use gin instead of vodka?
Sources.
Correct as of 16 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (as retained in UK law)”.
- legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II (as retained in UK law)”.
From the Guides
Styles of vodka
Made with Vodka
Featured In These Cocktails
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Often Used With
Updated 16 October 2026