“Cocktail College” is brought to you by Ketel One Vodka. Certain brands out there, certain vodka brands, want you to believe that these spirits should be flavorless and odorless. And they achieve this profile through multiple runs of distillation in column stills. They actually celebrate this thing; they market it. But you’re a discerning drinker, “Cocktail College” listener, aren’t you? And you know that vodka should have character, subtle character, and that arrives from the base ingredient and the production technique. In the case of Ketel One, we’re talking about a wheat base, made using a blend or a mix of pot and column still distillation. And what you get there is character, but subtle character, so that it’s going to enhance but never overpower your favorite vodka cocktails, your Matinis, your Cosmos. Ketel One stands so firmly behind this production technique that on every single bottle there’s an invitation for you, the drinker, to visit them at their Netherlands distillery. And hey, why wouldn’t they? They’ve only got 330 years of family distilling experience right there. So it’s understandable that they back themselves, and you should back them, too, listener. You should pick up a bottle and head to www.ketelone.com to learn more. Please Drink Responsibly. KETEL ONE Vodka. Distilled from Grain. 40% Alc./Vol. Double Eagle Brands, B.V. Imported by Ketel One USA, Aliso Viejo, CA
When it comes to the craft cocktail movement, there’s long been a hard-to-explain air of snobbery surrounding vodka. Even when we refer back to classic cocktail tomes like Harry Craddock’s famous “The Savoy Cocktail Book,” we’ll find over 300 gin-based drinks but only two vodka cocktail recipes. Many people are embarrassed to admit they fancy a Vodka Martini over a gin one, but the sheer popularity of vodka alone shows that those drinkers are in the majority. “Probably seven out of 10 people that order a Martini today want a Vodka Martini,” our guest today claims. “So let’s serve them the best Vodka Martini we can.”
Regardless of which vodka one reaches for — and whether or not one chooses to add vermouth — there’s an undeniable elegance to a well-made Vodka Martini. In appearance and flavor, it’s pure class, or, as our guest today calls the drink, “Fred Astaire in a glass.”
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On this episode of “Cocktail College,” we’re breaking down the world’s most underrated cocktail — one that’s serially disregarded by “serious” drinkers (but not by us). To the Vodka Martini, we’re devoting more than an hour of hot takes, technical insight, and cultural analysis alongside none other than Tony Abou-Ganim. Calling in from Las Vegas, the author of “Vodka Distilled: The Modern Mixologist on Vodka and Vodka Cocktails” teaches us to leave our prejudices at the door and embrace the very spirit of hospitality. Tune in for more.
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Tony Abou-Ganim’s Vodka Martini Recipe
Ingredients and Directions
Choose your favorite vodka; opt to drink it straight out of the freezer or stirred (or shaken) with ice and with or without vermouth. Garnish with — you’ve guessed it — whatever you feel like in the moment. Just make sure the glassware is on point!
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