Vodka has its roots in either Poland or Russia. Nobody’s sure, and its origins have been disputed since the 8th century. What we do know is that vodka is the most versatile of spirits, perfect for cocktails, mixed drinks or simply enjoyed neat over ice.
Diageo's vodka brands include the perennial Smirnoff Red, Blue and Black range, the super-premium Smirnoff Penka, Tanqueray's distinctive Sterling vodka and the unique Ciroc, which is distilled in France using grapes instead of grain.
This is how we make Smirnoff, which gets its purity from a rigorous distilling process…
It looks like beer, but…
Grain, yeast and water form a 'mash' that ferments to create alcohol. The resulting mixture is a mere 8 per cent alcohol; so far, the process shows more than a passing resemblance to making beer.
This fermented mash gets distilled to create a high quality raw alcohol, from which we will make our vodka.
Once is not enough
The raw alcohol is now put through a rigorous second distillation. This removes the impurities found after first distillation and readies the spirit for blending.
Just add water
Next, the high-strength alcohol is blended with demineralised, carbon-filtered water. This reduces the alcohol content to a still scorching 57 per cent.
Charcoal, times ten
At this stage Smirnoff vodka is filtered ten times, passing through a total of seven tonnes of charcoal to draw out any remaining impurities.
The final blend
Finally, a little extra pure water is added, further reducing the alcohol content to make the vodka palatable and prepare it for bottling.