Khortytsa Khor Ice Flavored Vodka

Khortytsa is one of Ukraine's largest vodka producers, and Khor Ice is its fresh, winter-themed flavoured edition. It uses 100% corn-based Luxe alcohol, a multi-distilled and rectified spirit, with corn lending a clean, sweetish neutrality that suits a flavoured style. That base is cut with artesian water put through four separate filtration stages for maximum clarity, then infused with mint and lime extract. The mint and citrus give the vodka a cool, light texture, and the frosted bottle even shifts colour at the intended serving temperature, a cue to drink it very cold.

The nose is fresh and minty with fine floral notes. The palate is cooling and soft, balanced and clearly fresh, before a clean, mild, long finish that keeps that menthol chill. The mint and lime are made to be played up, so build a tall, herbaceous highball: 50ml over cubed ice in a Collins glass, topped with soda water, with a squeeze of fresh lime and a generous slap of mint sprigs, a Southside in spirit that lets the built-in mint and citrus lead.