Thinkers Furthered 40/60 Vodka

Thinkers Furthered 40/60 is distilled in Jerusalem by Thinkers Distillery, also known as the Israel Distilling Co. The base is soft red winter wheat sourced from the Champagne region of France, a grain that lends vodka a rounded, creamy mouthfeel rather than spice, and it is combined with specially treated water from Jerusalem. The house calls the style soft and golden, and the production is geared to hold on to those fine grain notes rather than scrub everything out. It is bottled at 40% and has picked up Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and recognition at the SIP Awards, both in 2021.

The nose is clean and soft, with cereal notes, a touch of sweetness and faint vanilla and citrus. The palate is creamy and balanced with a gentle spiciness and a thread of subtle fruit, and the finish is round and warm and holds for a while. Given that saline note in its make-up, serve it as a Vodka Soda over plenty of ice with a wide strip of lemon zest expressed over the top, then pair the glass with freshly shucked oysters so the brine and the wheat's soft sweetness meet.