Vodka

A clear distilled spirit traditionally made from grain or potatoes and defined by its neutral character, produced by distillation and filtration that strip out most flavour congeners. It is commonly consumed on its own, served cold or iced, or used as an ingredient of long mixed drinks, and it is also poured over ice cream or fruit in dessert service. Regulations in many markets set a minimum alcohol strength, commonly 37.5 to 40 percent alcohol by volume, and define permitted raw materials and processing. For the beverage scientist, vodka production is essentially a study in purification: repeated distillation and activated-carbon filtration remove impurities while retaining ethanol, and quality assessment centres on neutrality, smoothness, and the absence of off-flavours.