Dima really is a prince among vodkas, one that doesn’t need a bottle coated with heraldry symbols, the equivalent of putting a picture of a kilt on a bottle of best malt whisky, to sell it.

While vodka can be made from wheat, barley or rye. Dimas is quite unusual in using all three for a richer and more rounded flavour profile.

The grains are grown on Ukrainian black ‘supersoil’, a soil so rich and wonderful you could almost boil it and drink it as soup (don’t try that).

With this kind of quality it deserves its superbly stylish bottle, a marketing lesson learned from the Swedes perhaps, and to be ideally drunk neat and at room temperature so that you can appreciate  the remarkable creamy smoothness, as well the flavour of Brazil nuts followed by aniseed.

Ukrainanians always like to sip it between bites of a pickle. We tried that with a gherkin, as well as some of our own pickled onions. A great pairing even if I say so myself.

Brine Time

DIma had heard from wine and drink expert Douglas Blyde, that I had been asking what I could do with the brine left over from my own preserved lemons. So they sent me some suggestions to make some cocktails with Dima.

The results were middling, not their fault as I think my brine was a lot saltier than they anticipated, but you could see how a salty solution would work. I’ll keep trying on that one.

Far better was their idea of what to do with my last allotment beetroots –  a beetroot boosted Bloody Mary – beetroot juice, tabasco, Worcestershire Sauce, some pickle juice , seasoning and tomato juice with the  glass topped with a jaunty gherkin.

The recipe called for 50cc of vodka per glass, but I wussed out a bit not wanting to see the bottle, or my consciousness, diminish too rapidly  and halved all the ingredients.

The combination of the warm earthy beet juice with sweet tomato, all kicked up by Tabasco and Worcestershire Sauce was superb. The smoothness of the Dima kept it all civilised and its own flavours were still easily picked up.

But we were soon back to sipping it neat and nibbling that crunchy pickle.

dimasvodka.com

Beetroot Mary

50ml Dima’s Vodka
3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
3 dashes Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon of horseradish
5-10 ml pickle brine
salt & pepper
20 ml beetroot juice
tomato juice to top up to taste

Serve garnished with a pickle