Does It Have To Be Good Vodka?
January 22nd, 2010 by Rexx
I am thinking about making a batch of homemade coffee liquor (kaluah). All the recipes require vodka to be the main alcohol ingredient, but I’m wondering since it’s going to be flavored with coffee and vanilla and such does it neccesarily have to be top shelf stuff? I was going to make a lot of it, so it wouldn’t be very “cost effective” if I were to buy two handles of Grey Goose or something when Smirnoff would work just as well.
Will it change the flavor of my homemade kaluah if I use cheaper stuff?
Posted in Coffee | 
16 Comments »
January 22nd, 2010 at 6:27 am
Use a Vodka that you like, do not go by the cost. Yes different Vodkas will affect it. I personally like cheap Vodka, LOL
January 22nd, 2010 at 9:23 am
Of course you’ll get away with using cheaper vodka (Smirnoff, Popov, etc) but it could affect the over all flavor of your drink even though there are other flavors involved. The higher end vodka will cost more but your drink will probably taste better, if you use cheaper vodka and don’t enjoy the taste of your drink and pour most of it down the drain, did you really save that much money? I always try to remember the saying ” I can’t afford to buy cheap”. Good luck.
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:53 pm
If you mix, use the cheap stuff……..even with margaritas, use cheap tequila, but for drinking straight, always use the good stuff, and put it in the freezer (vodka), it will make for better sipping. I like Belvedere and Thor’s Hammer. Thor’s Hammer is really good if you can find it and it’s really reasonable.
January 22nd, 2010 at 6:21 pm
I think you HAVE to invest in good vodka. If you want something a little cheaper than GG, get Absolute or SKYY. I find Smirnoff to be just a little too cheap tasting. If you don’t mix a lot of drinks with vodka, you may not notice, but I notice. I remember someone mixed my cosmo with smirnoff and I asked them what in the world did they use? If you want a smoother tasting liquor, don’t use it.
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:20 pm
You can use a cheaper vodka that you like; but not too cheap (like the one the guy makes in his basement down the road). I drink Skyy normally, but I can also drink Smirnoff, Absolute, Grey Goose, Belvedere ……. but in a drink I cannot tell which one I am drinking. Get the vodka YOU like.
January 23rd, 2010 at 3:31 am
OK… In mixed drinks that use whiskey or some other dark liquor I generally say go with well. The mixers will overpower any foulness that may be in them.
Now with vodka it is a different story. The cheap stuff even with mixers is still nasty rubbing alcohol. Spend a little more… Heck, Grey Goose is even at the bottom end of more expensive good vodkas.
January 23rd, 2010 at 8:18 am
you can buy cheap vodka and run it through a brita filter a few times if you don’t want to fork out big bucks for good vodka. thats what poor college student do:)
don’t try to use the filter for anything else afterwards though, use a different one for rum, tequila, water, ect.
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:28 am
use a reasonably priced vanilla vodka. smirnoff vanilla is just fine. pour it over coffee beans and let it marinate for a week or two before you serve it. it’s great.
January 23rd, 2010 at 4:31 pm
I would say a GOOD vodka would be overkill, smirnoff or the like would be fine, the only impact I could see would be the harshness of the alcohol in a really cheap brand.
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Anything you put into the mix will affect the flavor. ALWAYS stay away from cheap liquors. They use a lot of really cheap fillers. In fact, try using Stolichnaya Vanil…mmmmmmmm!
January 24th, 2010 at 4:12 am
Smirnoff is a good choice… it’s not the REALLY cheap, NASTY vodka, but you’re also not blowing tons of money on something like Grey Goose.
January 24th, 2010 at 9:39 am
It probably will change the taste of the drink, but I don’t see anything wrong with smirnoff, it’s still pretty good vodka. just don’t use dubra…. that stuff burns going down!
January 24th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Use the Smirnoff, no problems. I believe it would be a waste of Grey Goose or any other premium vodka.
January 24th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
i say there’s nothing wrong with cheap vodka. you’re going to flavor it anyways…
January 24th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
do you want a hangover or not? if you do use the cheap stuff, eventually you will realize why they call for the good stuff
January 24th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Go with the cheap,and stay away from the Grey Goose!!!!! You’ll never know ANY difference in the taste!