
There is a good reason U.S. vodkas favor the industrial process. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms stipulates that vodka is to be defined as a “neutral spirit so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.” In other words, pure ethanol with water added to bring the proof down. So one is right to be suspect of ambitious claims regarding a spirit that is by definition “without distinctive taste.”
This does not mean however that vodkas are indistinguishable from one another. Mercy no. But among U.S.-made vodkas, you would do well not to spend any more money than the $12.99 you’ll pay for Smirnoff. After all, it’s an industrial process. And when was the last time you heard someone say, That’s some high fructose corn syrup!

Now for Zyr’s puffery. It uses what its makes claim is a unique 9:5:3 process – that is nine filtrations, five distillations and three tastings. This is no doubt an ancient secret Russian recipe devised by ancient Pythagoreans. And the marketers of Zyr make a point of telling us that the water used is drawn from 460 feet below Russian soil. As if we would be disappointed if it were only 300 feet, say.
One final thing I really liked about Zyr: it’s name. I like the idea of vodkas with monosyllabic names, allowing one to still clearly order them when impaired. It’s probably why vodkas don’t generally have names such as Perspicacious or Ornithological. Better: Zyr, Err, Uh, ... Me want Ur....
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