Vodka is usually made from rye, wheat or potatoes along with water. Other ingredients such as corn, grapes and rice have also become popular over the years.

Quality depends on the production method, the quality of the ingredients used and, finally, the expertise and capabilities of the producers and distillers.

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Production steps

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Cooking and grinding

In the first stage, cereals or vegetables are cooked at high temperatures in high pressure cylinders.
This process leads to the release of enzymes that allow the decomposition of starch into fermentable monosaccharides. Finally, the product is crushed and crushed.

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Fermentation

Yeast is added to the final product which leads to a fermentation of sugars. This process takes an average of 3 days. In this process, ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide are obtained.
The final product resulting from fermentation contains between 7-11% ethyl alcohol.

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Distillation and rectification

The next step is to separate the ethanol from the fermented product. This is done through distillation in the so-called distillation columns. The final product is now rectified alcohol which contains 88-93% ethyl alcohol.
Rectification is the method of repeating the distillation to increase the alcohol content and reduce impurities which translates into a cleaner flavor.
Belvedere, for example, is distilled 4 times.

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Filtration and ... vodka!

Rectified alcohol and water are the ingredients of vodka. Water is mixed with the rectified alcohol in the proportions in the recipe of each brand.
Finally, filtration ensures the removal of the last impurities and ensures that the liquid is clear.
Vodka is usually filtered through cellulose fibers or charcoal filters but many other methods can be used, such as lava rocks or diamonds.

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