Reyka Vodka may be one of the most interesting vodkas I have ever had. Mind you, I don't pay much attention to vodka in general. I don't buy a ton of really high end vodkas, and I don't make a whole lot of cocktails with vodka.
But Reyka may change my mind.
They distill this stuff in Iceland using spring water that comes from melting glaciers, and they use a Carter-Head still, which is the same thing used by Hendrick's gin. But they only distill it once. That's right. Most premium vodkas are distilled five times or more, but Reyka only needs to do it once. The Carter-Head still is that efficient.
And then they filter it through lava rocks. How cool is that?!?
And what you get is a wheat vodka that tastes like silk and grass. There's a terroir here in both the smell and the smoothness. It is ultra smooth, yes, but there's a subtle flavor that comes out, especially neat. It's wheat and grass and hints of pepper.
Reyka Vodka is great in a Martini, but I wanted a special cocktail to highlight its flavors, so I made the Ice-Truck Cocktail. Yes, I've been watching Dexter lately, and something about this drink made me think of it, so there we go. But the cocktail is no killer; it's just the Ice-Truck Cocktail.
To make an Ice-Truck Cocktail, combine with ice:
1 1/2 oz Reyka Vodka
3/4 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
shake well, and strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Then top with soda water.
It's refreshing and clean and easy to drink, and it highlights the smoothness of Reyka Vodka well. So get some Reyka Vodka and try the Ice-Truck Cocktail. It's a good match.
