Vodka guides

How is vodka made?

From fermentation to filtration we explain how vodka is made. And how it isn't it all tasteless. Or loaded with artificial flavours

Contributed by

Adam O'Connell

Henry Jeffreys

Vodka is a distilled spirit, the often clear, colourless, and neutral one that you’ve probably paired with orange juice, coke, or lemon and lime on many occasions. But have you stopped to wonder what exactly vodka is? How does this drink that looks like water in your glass even get made? Well, that’s what this guide is here to tell you.

What is vodka made of?

Vodka starts with a raw material which is traditionally rye, wheat, or potato but can really be anything, including sorghum or sugar beets. Some vodka producers add other base ingredients to create a distinctive product, as Zubrówka does with its infusion of bison grass.

Fermentation

Some raw materials like fruit or molasses contain fermentable sugars whereas others like cereals and potatoes need to be processed with enzymes to break down the starch into fermentable sugars in a process that’s similar to malting.

Once you have fermentable sugars, then producers will add yeast and let the raw materials ferment. This can take anywhere between a day and a week. This produces a beer-like liquid known as wash with an ABV between 8 and 15% depending on the raw materials.

Distillation

The aim of vodka distillation is to produce a high-strength, smooth-tasting spirit of around 95-95% ABV. This is a complex process often involving multiple stills in order to reach the desired purity. For example at the Chase Distillery in Herefordshire, the potato ferment goes through a stripping column which removes any solids and most of the water to produce a 85% ABV spirit. This is then diluted and goes through a pot still before a final distillation in the 22 metre column to produce a 96% ABV spirit. At other distilleries, the wash (fermented liquid) goes through the column still first followed by a rectification process which strips out unwanted flavours.

The equipment to make high strength alcohol is extremely large and expensive so many vodka brands will buy in neutral spirit and redistill, sometimes in a pot still, to produce their own brand vodka.

Vodka is typically distilled in column stills

Flavoured vodka

Vodka makes a great base for flavour. In fact, gin is essentially just a particular kind of flavoured vodka with juniper as the lead botanical. Flavours can range from traditional Polish specialities like bison grass vodka to fruit-flavoured vodkas and even ones flavoured with Jaffa Cakes.

Is all vodka tasteless?

You’d think with all the processes designed to remove undesirable compounds that all vodkas would pretty much taste of nothing but that isn’t the case. While the flavour of many can be a little hard to discern, there are plenty of distinctive vodkas out there where you can really taste the raw materials

These might range from the pungently fruity potato vodkas, spicy rye vodkas, creamy wheat-based spirits, and in the case of Muse X from Scotland, one that tastes a lot like new make single malt whisky because that is exactly what it is made from. While vodka isn’t meant to knock you over the head with flavour, there’s more to this spirit than just diluted ethanol. Some vodkas like Kavka from Poland may have tiny amounts of aged spirits added to give flavour. With the better quality examples, you should feel the weight and texture of the spirit in the mouth.

Dilution

Before bottling vodka is diluted, sometimes with natural spring water, to around 40% ABV before bottling. Some brands will have a little sugar added at this point. Vodka’s alcohol content can be higher and even at 40% ABV some people may believe it’s higher on account of the strong taste of alcohol, but that’s what you get with a neutral spirit, the alcohol stands up front and centre.

Filtering

To further remove unwanted flavours, many vodkas are filtered. This is normally done using charcoal but some brands use quartz or even diamonds. Super fancy!