Two bartenders share their insights on the licensed trade’s biggest spirit
Turtle Higgins, Bird & Bear, Dundee
What changes have you noticed in the vodka category over the years?
The main difference I’ve noticed in my time behind the bar is the knowledge and expectations of customers when choosing which vodka to enjoy.
Locality, ethos and sustainability have become factors for them, whether it be the story of a local spirit, the process involved, or indeed the base ingredient, with potato and even oat vodka becoming popular choices.
The craft element often denotes care and consumers are willing to pay extra for quality products.
How popular is vodka in your outlet in terms of spirit/mixer serves and cocktails?
Vodka is consistently the highest selling spirit in our venue; this is mostly due to some of our highest selling cocktails having vodka as the base spirit.
Our menu is designed to be approachable with tastes suited for many palates, however the House Spritz, Thriller in Vanilla and By The Beach serves (which all include vodka) are amongst our top five cocktails by popularity.
How many vodkas do you currently stock? What are the biggest sellers?
We generally stock about a dozen vodkas at any one time.
Due to our high volume of cocktails, our largest quantities by far are the J.J. Whitley Potato Vodka and Cariel Vanilla Vodka.
However, for a spirit and mixer, Arbikie Potato Vodka is extremely popular due to the fact it is distilled locally and is a fantastic product.
Which vodka is your personal favourite?
I would have to say Reyka. And that is due to the spirit of adventure that it represents and the transparency in its production.
Sustainability is something that is massively important to me and how they use Iceland’s natural resources and advantages is something that resonates with me.
What can bar staff do to promote vodka serves/cocktails in outlets?
I think accessibility is important. Start with recognisable flavours and carefully develop the drinks so that customers have a journey and experience beyond what they may think of vodka.
A lot of people new to cocktails may start with vodka as they recognise it but you can play on this to surprise them with the versatility of the category.
What mixers do you think complement the spirit best?
This is a hard one for me. I generally switch up my combinations depending on mood, location, atmosphere but I love a decent ginger beer mix as it puts me in mind of gigs and summer days when I was a bit younger.
Sebastian Stancyzk, Oro, Glasgow
What changes have you noticed in the vodka category over the years?
Moving from the land of vodka (Poland) to the land of whisky, it was quite a big surprise to realise that gin is king, which is technically juniper-led botanical vodka.
Nonetheless vodka is still the most common alcoholic beverage being ordered thanks to its versatility and simplicity.
I’ve noticed that there’s many brands emerging with their experimental flavours, fancy bottles, impressive backstories or different raw materials.
The vodka market is a tough one because you have many levels of premiumisation to tick off if you really want to stand out.
Sometimes, if not mostly, the actual marketing wins over quality.
How popular is vodka in your outlet in terms of spirit/mixer serves and cocktails?
The most common vodka mixer combination is with cola or sometimes lemonade.
Where I see the possibility to upsell flavoured vodkas is with strawberry, pear and mint vodka with lemonade.
Then the most favoured cocktail is with pear vodka, elderflower liqueur and Champagne.
How many vodkas do you currently stock? What are the biggest sellers?
We have five vodkas at Oro. As it’s a dispense bar people usually order Grey Goose, Cîroc and Belvedere as they can’t see the bar at all.
At The Spiritualist, where I also work, we have around 20 vodkas and on the speed rail we have Absolut. Customers in there drink a lot of Martinis and we quite often personalise those Martinis to their needs; that’s what you do with a gantry of that size.
Which vodka is your personal favourite?
As I’m a huge fan of potato vodka, I would have to say Arbikie’s Tattie Bogle expression, which is my go-to vodka.
It’s really clean, super smooth and creamy; bottled at 43% ABV, it is really refreshing in light cocktails.
What can bar staff do to promote vodka serves/cocktails in outlets?
I think the best and most straightforward idea is to stock different types of vodka.
Understanding the differences between each type of spirit is crucial for bar staff looking to nail this approach.
What mixers do you think complement the spirit best?
I recommend mostly that vodka is paired with soda water, especially when the spirit is creamy and smooth.
For spirits with a little more character, I would suggest beginning with apple juice.
