V-Sinne Schwarzwald Star Trek Neutral Zone Vodka

V-Sinne is a Black Forest distillery best known for its gin, and the Neutral Zone bottling is its first vodka, released under an official Star Trek licence and themed around the franchise's idea of balance and calm. The spirit is built for clarity rather than character: it is put through a five-fold filtration, each pass pulling more of the heavier oils and rough compounds out to leave a notably smooth, even texture. The run is capped at 6,000 bottles worldwide and presented in a futuristic display bottle, so it sits as much in the collector's cabinet as on the back bar.

The nose is mild and pure with a fine cereal note. The palate is soft, balanced and clearly structured, closing long, clean and harmonious. Because it is deliberately restrained and very clean, let it carry bright flavours without competing: shake it into a French Martini with raspberry liqueur and fresh pineapple juice, then strain it tall and frothy, where the vodka gives the drink its backbone and the fruit takes the lead.