New Craft Spirits Program Serves Vodka Perfect for Moscow Mules

I know it's not grammatically correct, but it's a solid question: how do you vodka?

I like to vodka cheap, strong, with soda water and maybe a little bit of citrus. Perhaps you like to vodka with olive juice, a splash of vermouth and a chilled martini glass.

How a person chooses to “do” their vodka is a good deciding factor on who they are as a human. For example, a person who chooses NOT to vodka… well, I’m not a fan. So we’re going to just nip that one in the bud and move on. Vodka drinkers are definitely the fun ones in the group. Have you ever met a pretentious vodka drinker? Seriously, think about it. Obviously wine and beer lovers can get annoying, what with their variations and years and dryness. I get it guys! But personally, the ones I think you ought to really look out for are the whiskey drinkers. It’s like you can’t go anywhere these days without your local McDonald’s having a Single Malt Menu.

I'm simple, though. Just get me some sort of vodka in some sort of fashion and I'm happy. I don't need to discuss the nature of the potato or where it came from… IT’S A POTATO. Vodka works in any setting! It’ll work in a sophisticated type of place, or it can work in a rustic setting. It can work by itself or even with a group. Vodka is extremely versatile. Even the brands can say something about you! Smirnoff says I like it economical and on the run. That tiny bottle of New Amsterdam means that terrible vodka is cheaper than mouthwash.

One interesting thing about Belvedere vodka is that one liter is approximately $35, which is just about the same price as 35 tacos from Taco Bell. Just something to chew on.

So tonight, I’m going to do my vodka in a very different way – sippin’ it slow. If this stuff is as expensive as gasoline (maybe more – according to my math) than I‘m going to take my time. I’m doing it deliberately, methodically, and maybe even a little pretentious. I might even talk about it a lot with everyone. Who knows! It’s vodka! It’s versatile, and perfect, and you can do it any which way you like! 

The Chopping Block just added two vodkas to our craft spirits program:

• Aylesbury Duck Vodka ($31.95) Made from soft winter wheat sourced from farms outside Calgary and designed as a workhorse vodka to make everything from Moscow Mules to Bloody Marys.

• CH Distillery Vodka ($28.95) Fruity aromas of lemon and green apple with a hint of fresh baked bread. Made right here in Chicago!

Check out our full spirits menu and try one of these vodkas in one of our favorite cocktails: the Moscoe Mule. It's considered to be the cocktail that kicked started the vodka cocktail movement.

Moscow Mule

1½ parts Vodka

½ part fresh squeezed lime juice

4 parts Ginger Beer

Mix ingredients over ice in a copper mug and garnish with a lime wheel.