Vodka is making a comeback - Zyr Vodka

Posted by Plenty Flenjo

April 20, 2008

Vodka is probably the most disliked or hated spirit by serious mixologists - myself included. Then there are some mixologists who like vodka but they appear to be in the minority.

Perhaps Zyr vodka will make you reconsider vodka as a spirit worth taking seriously and not “Gin without pants” as Gabe over at Cocktailnerd says. I received a review sample of Zyr vodka a short while ago and let me tell you this - Zyr Vodka is one damn fine vodka.

Zyr [ZEER] Vodka is made from a unique combination of wheat and rye which comes packaged in a distinctive light blue bottle. What made me sit up and take notice was the rye, as gin happens to be my overall favorite base spirit.

The Rye imparts a somewhat sweet and spicy profile to the wheat vodka which makes for a spirit that is better off used for sipping vs mixing in a cocktail - we’ve got Smirnoff for that. Zyr vodka is produced in an area outside of Moscow and I was pleased to learn that Zyr oversees the entire chain of supply from harvesting the grain to bottling. That’s dedication, people.

Personally, I enjoyed Zyr vodka the most by sipping it neat - ice cold. I also tried it in a cocktail and it blended effortlessly, disappearing into the background, like a really great vodka should. It’s almost as if it wasn’t there, which is exactly how the base liquor in a well crafted cocktail should be. Zyr has received nods from the Robb Report, Playboy and the Wine Enthusiast to name a few.

Best enjoyed ice cold, on the rocks. Sweet and spicy. Please don’t waste this vodka on people you hate - this is delicious vodka. MSRP of $32 for a 750 ml bottle.

Distribution for Zyr Vodka appears to be mostly on the East coast at the moment, but if you have the opportunity to sample some, come back and tell us about it in the comments.

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