Vodka storms its way back to the bar

Beyond the sea of Australian gins and the rise and rise rise of Australian whisky, there is plenty of exciting news when it comes to Australian vodka and plenty to be celebrated about the character and dimension in the new imaginings of this old favourite.

Vanguard Luxury Brands have released its highly anticipated raw vodka, Tilde this week and the best vodkas in the world were named this past weekend at the 2022 World Vodka Awards. All you need to know about the Australian winners is below.

Australia's first Australian raw vodka - Tilde

Vanguard Luxury Brands has launched Australian Raw Vodka, Tilde after two years of research, development and market testing.

Its raw materials and distinctive flavour profile is a true Australian expression of craft vodka and a welcome newcomer.

Danny Connolly, General Manager of Vanguard Luxury Brands said: “We bring the expert skills from the brewing world to give us the best base ingredients to make this truly unique craft product. Tilde is what Australian bartenders and drinkers alike have told us they want - a vodka Aussies can call their own.

“Chasing character through subtle flavours and texture, Tilde offers something different to the Australian market. We set out to do things differently and craft a vodka in a way no one has done before. Tilde is true to its high-quality ingredients and the craftspeople involved in its creation. A vodka that is real and raw.”

Tilde is made using a new process of low-intervention distillation of high-quality, craft sour beer wash base and minimal filtration to preserve depth, character and natural flavours. The result is a vodka with identifiable character, complexity, authenticity and most importantly, is delicious.

Award-winning bartender Evan Stroeve of Re. said: “As bartenders, we are typically quite averse to vodka. Whatever it’s made from is fermented and distilled to the point it’s unrecognisable, with brands usually hinging on mouthfeel and texture as the only distinguishing feature.

“Tilde eviscerates that stereotype. A genuinely considered process, using an interesting base in sour beer wash makes for a vodka with actual character. A light lactic bite, with citrus that is discernible rather than suggested. Tilde is the future of vodka, and it’s exciting.”

Enjoyed neat, in a signature serve with soda and lemon or exceptional in a martini, sample this unique Australian is vodka as soon as you can.

2022 World Vodka Awards

Australian winners for each category at the 2022 World Vodka Awards were:

• Best Varietal Vodka: Country Winner: Hellfire Bluff Distillery Potato Vodka
• Flavoured Vodka: Country Winner: Old Young's Pavlova Vodka
• Infused/Botanical: Country Winner: Archie Rose Distilling Co. Native Botanical Vodka
• Pure Neutral Vodka: Country Winner: Critters Distillery Original Vodka

Archie Rose's founder, Will Edwards said: "We're thrilled with this accolade which endorses the goal of our new Native Botanical Vodka showcasing the incredible native and local ingredients available in Australia and our belief that vodka has just as much of a right to be on the table or behind the bar as gin in terms of flavour and complexity."

Similarly, Hellfire Bluff Distillery are really proud of the flavour and character from their distillery.

Head Distiller Dave Harris says that while most modern vodka’s are grain based with a neutral flavour profile, potato vodka is full of character.

“We use ‘perfectly imperfect’ potatoes that have not quite made the grade for retail sales, mostly due to aesthetic reasons. We predominantly use Tasmanian Pink Eye’s or Nicola’s to create the vodka — and lots of them. On average there are approximately 15 kilos of potatoes per bottle,” he said.

Suffice to say, the potato farmers on Tasmania’s south east coast are thrilled with the international acclaim for their handcrafted product that was created when the family chased their passion to value-add to the potatoes grown on their farm.  

“Crafting vodka from the paddock to the bottle can be an arduous process, however this recognition as Country Winners in the Varietal Vodka category demonstrates the dedication required to create such a unique spirit is worthwhile,” said Hellfire’s Business Manager, Ruby Daly.

“Our Potato Vodka is one of the few of its kind made Australia and we have spent years refining our process to create a quality product,” she said.

The World Vodka Awards are the global awards selecting the very best in all the international recognised styles, and promote the world’s best vodka to consumers and trade across the globe.

World Vodka Awards 2022 Country Winners