The 5 biggest myths about vodka
Lorem ipsum, likely the bottle you swiped from your parent’s liquor cabinet in your earliest drinking days, vodka is undeniably one of the world’s most popular spirits. Due to its neutral flavor profile, vodka is a great base spirit for a number of cocktails, including classics like the Cosmopolitan, Bloody Mary, and Matini. While vodka is so prominent on today’s market — and despite the fact that it’s arguably the most common introductory spirit — a number of myths continue to follow in the spirit’s wake. To separate fact from folklore, we debunked five of the most widely held vodka myths and even broke down the rationale behind a popular yet futile TikTok trend.
Despite the fact that just 3 percent of the world’s vodka is distilled from potatoes, there is a common misconception among drinkers that all vodka is made from the starch. In reality, unlike most other spirits categories, vodka can be distilled from anything containing fermentable sugars or starches — the most popular of which are winter wheat and corn, which are used to produce labels like Grey Goose and Tito’s, respectively. As there are no regulations on which agricultural products can be used to make vodka, a number of brands have gotten creative, including Kástra Elión, which is distilled from olives, and Barr Hill, which is made with Vermont honey.
Many drinkers on gluten-free diets may be under the impression that they can only enjoy vodka if it’s distilled from gluten-free products like corn or potatoes. However, even though some may be made with gluten-containing grains such as wheat or rye, all distilled vodkas are gluten-free unless a distiller adds additional gluten-containing ingredients after distillation is complete. While most vodkas are safe for people with celiac disease, Beyond Celiac recommends taking a close look at the ingredients used in flavored vodkas for any gluten-containing additives.
