Nikka Coffey Vodka

The Nikka Coffey Vodka is a delicate spirit, owing to its distillation in Coffey stills. It won Best Japanese Varietal in the 2020 World Vodka Awards.

Corn and barley are distilled separately, then expertly and carefully blended, before being filtered with white birch charcoal.

When you open a bottle, you notice immediately that there is no alcohol sting to the nose. This softness carries over to its taste, where it is smooth, rich, and sweet on the palate, and gives off zesty hints of tropical fruit and white pepper.

This is a vodka you can definitely sip neat.

Although, mix in some grapefruit juice (and a glass with a salted rim) and you have yourself an excellent Salty Dog. Another simple cocktail is a classic Vodka Martini, with which the Nikka would work exceptionally.

Serve this during cocktails with some artichokes, figs, and grapefruit.

Aeneas Coffey was born in Ireland in 1780. He worked in British customs and excise records, but he was a man of many talents and interests.

Among which were the designs of whisky stills, which he observed regularly as Ireland was leading producer of whisky in the 19th century. He then became familiar with the column still, a relatively inefficient piece of equipment. But it had the potential to be a more productive, and a cheaper way to distill alcohol.

He made modifications to the original design, and the resulting invention was much more efficient, and produced lighter, more delicate alcohol, and at a higher alcohol content. The Coffey Still was patented in 1830, and became the basis of every column still since.

Store your bottle upright in a cool, dark place, ideally between 12 and 15°C. Unopened bottles can last for an indefinite amount of time, but the closer you get to the bottom third of the bottle, please consume quickly to prevent oxidation and taste alteration.