Belvedere Heritage 176

Jake is a bartender, writer and broadcaster who has spent his entire professional career in hospitality with experience ranging from neighbourhood bars to some of the most critically recognised venues in the world.  He also sits on the judging panel for the International Spirits Challenge, where he is responsible for the entire spectrum of world vodka. 

Innovation is hard with 600 years of history strapped to your back but 176 reaches back to near-forgotten Polish distilling traditions. Made with a blend of 98% vodka and 2% malted rye spirit which is steeped, germinated and kiln fired at 176 degrees (hence the name), it’s a spectacular arm wrestle between the old world and the new world of vodka. All lubricated by a spirit full of cream, butterscotch and hot liquid fudge.

It's one of those rare experiences with spirits, where it’s almost as if it’d been made specifically for the love of the category. It’s a lullaby to all that is wonderful about vodka. Heritage 176 straddles occasions, but, for me, there’s nowhere better to drink than in a dimly lit room, leaning on a bar top.

Heritage 176 could be the perfect stepping stone, in so much as there’s something for the entire gamut of drinkers to tie their flag to. Texturally, it should come with a tog-count. Flavour-wise, it appeals to very human delights with the luscious elaboration of hay, sweet cream and fudge.

Heritage 176 is utilitarian! It purrs when it’s stirred down and poured over a rock in an Old Fashioned glass. It sticks out its elbows, lifts its chin and pushes straight to the front of my attention in a Dry Martini. My favourite way to drink 176 is over clear block ice, with chilled sparkling water and a plump strawberry half. There’s an interplay between mineral-rich fizzy water and 176 that emphasises everything I love about the liquid. It’s svelte and compact at first and then those bubbles bring a cascade of crunch and texture. The strawberry just tops that off, with a fizzle of contrasting sweet and sour.

If you’re going to mix drinks at home, you want the highest quality ice you can make or buy. Uniform, square or slightly rectangular with as few air bubbles or defects as possible. Bartenders consider ice itself to be an ingredient, so the importance of the cold stuff can’t be overstated. Everything is contingent on ice; when we shake with ice, we create dilution, change temperature, and modify texture. When we make highballs we use the ice as the foundational aspect by which the drink can stay as cold as possible, for as long as possible but even more importantly, as an anchor that those beautiful, ripping bubbles can nucleate steadily.

A thin martini glass, robust enough to survive proper use and small enough to fit in your freezer is a vodka 101 must-have and for sipping, get yourself a rocks glass that can accommodate hefty chunks of block ice.

You cannot go wrong with Heritage 176 and fresh fish, oysters, roe or caviar. The lingering maritime flavour lightens and livens the Heritage 176, while the spirit, in turn, lends a continuity of overlapping depth. This makes the whole delightful experience feel rooted in a perfect moment.