The social drinker

Vodka is not really my thing. With almost no smell, no colour and hardly any flavour, it is handy for teenagers sneaking a drink, but rather pointless otherwise. Most of the time, I can’t tell the difference between one vodka and another, and I doubt many other people can, either. But there is no getting away from vodka’s popularity here and elsewhere in northern Europe and North America.

It was with a sense of excitement that I opened a rather garish bottle of Olive Vodka from Marks & Spencer the other day. I may not like vodka much, but I love olives, and this seemed like a good mix. In fact, it is a little disappointing — the taste of olives is overwhelming, and it is difficult to imagine a situation where one would want more than a glass or two.

Still, the drink got me thinking. Flavoured vodka can be interesting, and it can be fun to leave enough vodka for a few shots in a jug, along with a lemon, cucumber or Earl Grey tea bag if you want to make an unusual and refreshing drink for a vodka fiend.

Vodka is also an excellent base for some of the greatest cocktails. Bloody Marys, Cosmopolitans, White Russians and Screwdrivers all demand respect and depend on vodka for their kick, but the vodka cocktail I’ve come to love recently is the Espresso Martini, which mixes two shots of vodka, one shot of a coffee liqueur such as Kahlua, one shot of espresso and three or four pieces of ice.

To make one properly, you should put the lot into a shaker and shake it like your life depends on it, before pouring the lot through a sieve and into two cocktail glasses. If you shake it properly, the end result should look like a miniature Guinness. It is ideal as a luxurious digestif, or as a pick-me up if you are wilting at a party. As I said, pretty much all vodka tastes the same, but I generally use Stolichnaya.