Bottega Pure Grain Alexander Vodka

Distilleria Bottega, the Veneto house with a winemaking and grappa heritage stretching back to 1635, makes the Alexander as its organic vodka. It is fermented from an infusion of sugar drawn entirely from certified organic grain, which Bottega then distils through five phases. Each pass extracts more of the grain's natural flavour while shedding the rougher, heavier alcohols, so the spirit holds a defined cereal character rather than being reduced to a flat neutral. Pure alpine water gives it depth and brings it to 38%, and a final filtration clears out anything that would interfere with the profile.

The nose is intense and cereal with subtle balsamic accents. The palate is soft, round and balanced, and the finish is long. With its clean, grain-forward character it suits a crisp, spirit-led Gibson: stir the vodka cold with a small measure of dry vermouth, strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a cocktail onion, whose savoury bite sets off the cereal note without any added sweetness getting in the way.