If it was good enough for the Russian royal family, it's good enough for me! (Smirnoff Vodka)

Member Name: Densiegirl

Product:	Smirnoff Vodka
Date:	11/04/09 (184 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A smooth vodka that slips down very well.

Disadvantages: The bottles do tend to empty too quickly.

My favourite tipple has got to be Smirnoff vodka, the Czar of vodka's. My favourite is the red label, which is the most common. You can also get blue label or black label.

The current Smirnoff claims to continue the traditions of Poitr Smirnov, purveyor to the Imperial Russian Court from 1886 - 1917, though his first vodka distillery began in the 1860's. Following the revolution and confiscation of the factory by the Bolshevicks in 1917, Vladimir Smirnov, Poitr's son, fled to Paris adopting the French version of the family name which now becomes Smirnoff. Along with a fellow Russian, they moved production to America, where vodka slowly became a popular drink both there and internationally. The company is currently owned by Diageo, a drinks company whose head office is in London.

Though the vodka is produced by fermenting yeast and grain, which is then distilled through hardwood charcoal, there is no charcoal taste to this drink.

The blue label Smirnoff is the strongest at 45% proof and can often be found on offer in many duty free lounges around the world, and is described as their super premium vodka.

The black label Smirnoff is 40% proof and is distilled through Siberian Silver Birch charcoal. This should be popped into your freezer (it will not solidify due to the alcohol content) this should thicken it slightly. This should be taken neat, shot style. It may be ice cold but you will feel the burn as it goes down.

My favourite, the red, is 37.5% proof and triple distilled. To my mind this should be served with lots of ice, a slice of lemon and topped up with Diet Coke (not Pepsi), though it does work very well in cocktails also. I find this a smooth vodka and can tell the difference if served a different brand of vodka, in fact I usually pass on the vodka if no Smirnoff is to be found, as I find the others have quite unpleasant aftertastes to them, not to mention can give a headache. My exception to this would be Grey Goose, but this tends to be quite pricey in the UK.

I generally stock up when I see this brand on offer, about £12 for a litre bottle, though my best buy was in Florida at around £20 for a 3 litre plastic bottle.

Summary: The perfect companion for a night out.