At The Bar: Christiania Vodka

Christiania Vodka is pretty good stuff. A Norwegian vodka made from organic Trondelag potatoes and Norwegian arctic spring water, Christiania is an ultra-premium vodka that bills itself as “The World’s Smoothest Vodka.”

Now, I liked this vodka, it is really good stuff, however, if you are going to make a claim in advertising like “The World’s Smoothest Vodka” you better have some seriously incredible vodka on your hands. While I really enjoyed Christiania I’ve got to say, I have had smoother vodkas. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t really a dig at Christiania itself, but rather directed towards their trademarked tagline. In fact the US Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) apparently even approved them to be labeled as such… Though there is no indication as to when they did this.

Besides, in my opinion, not being the world’s smoothest, it is a really good vodka, an ultra-premium if you will. That means it is going to be sitting on the topshelf at the bar, right next to Grey Goose and the likes. A little background- It is column-distilled six times, charcoal filtered, and then aerated. This was the vodka that was introduced to Norway in the late 1500s and, after the recipe was perfected essentially became Christiania… Well that is the tale told by the “Norwegian Shipping Magnate Lars Ugland” who claims to have “rediscovered King Christian’s Ancient Recipe and founded Nordic Beverage.” it made its way to NYC in 2006 after a bottle redesign to help promote the smoothness of the vodka and indicate the refreshing Nordic springs that they get their water from.

Anyway, enough of their marketing mumbo-jumbo, I tried Christiania with a group of folks who pretty regularly drink Vodka, tasted it in a Cosmo, a Bloody Mary and a vodka gimlet (and of course a sip or two straight). I’ve got to say, everything was excellent, while I may dispute it’s claim to be the world’s smoothest, it still is extraordinarily smooth, none of the harsh alcohol taste you might in some other vodkas, though when you are an ultra-premium, I think that is to be expected.

The bottle would make a stellar gift, a sky blue tint with super-sleek lines, a cork instead of a screw off cap an, of course, as you would expect from a Norwegian company, a sticker of the flag of Norway holding the cap in place. Besides calling into question their tag line, there is not a whole lot bad I can say about this vodka (well, it is a bit on the pricier side, but when you are buying a ultra-premium vodka, I think that is to be expected).

To get a push going in the states they are pairing Christiania cocktails with some excellent meals, stating that:

The cocktail renaissance of recent years has broadened our lexicon to include terms like mixologist, bar chef, and spirits sommelier. Catering to the connoisseurs who appreciate innovative concoctions, head chefs and spirits specialists are refining the art of pairing cocktails with their savory cuisines…

Christiania vodka is leading the way by partnering with some of the brightest culinary stars from New York, Boston and Washington D.C. As a culinary experiment, Christiania asked chefs to create sensational savory dishes and marry them with concoctions based on the premium vodka. The comments from participating chefs like Michel Richard (Citronelle), Patricia Yeo (Monkey Bar) and Ken Oringer (KO Prime) demonstrate the challenge and gastronomic pleasure of crafting well-balanced complements.

Sounds like a good idea to me though some of the selections seem a little uninspired- At Marcel’s and Petit Robert they both opted to pair vodka with Salmon. Personally I think that is a gimme. I’d much prefer to try the pairing of Tomato Tartare with Mozzarella and the Strawberry Rhubarb Mojito. In fact the Strawberry Rhubarb Mojito on its own gets me.

If folks are interested in some of the cocktail recipes or some of the other pairings let me know and I will get them posted here ASAP.