Sevillascope: In the search for spirits. Vodkas, rums and gins

I overheard three Finnish guys talking on the bus the other day that made me ask to myself: how do they, poor things, survive down here? I'm not saying that it seems impossible, but I admit, it must be challenging. To be literally not able to buy vodka for having no choice whatsoever, well, for having no more than three labels to choose from. Which is as good as nothing. Especially considering that one of them is not known in the part of the world these guys are from.

A common sight in the supermarkets

About the choices. One of the brands in the market - Absolut Vodka - is Swedish. It is extraordinary and should be ranked among the best vodkas in the world. I suggest you not to trust any top 10 or whatever lists that don't have Absolut Vodka in it. Seriously!

Then there is Smirnoff Vodka that, though originally Russian, belongs to a British Company. It has gone hand in hand with James Bond for more than 50 years. Somehow this doesn't sound sexy to me. At all. It makes me sort of critical about its glamorous comercial image instead. Off it goes! ¡Fuera! Just joking, it's an honest drink...

And, the third - Vodka Knebep - doesn't really count. It's a brand of a Spanish supermarket chain, Mercadona, but yet, let's be honest, Spain ain't no vodka producer!

The Finns living here, on the other hand, are from a colder climate originally and therefore used to strong spirits with pure and simple taste. Being from the Northern Europe myself, I'm somewhat familiar with their needs and likes. I would also have a shot of straight, freezing-cold Swedish, Finnish or Estonian vodka every now and then, although I'm one hell of a good cocktail maker. In any case, my personal top would be as depicted in the following picture.

My favourite vodkas

Viru Valge is the best Estonian vodka. For me, a couple of quality brands of Estonia are the purest and best-tasting vodkas in the world, the second-best being Saaremaa Vodka. It also applies to their flavoured products. These are a definite must-try!

Viru Valge flavoured vodkas

Saaremaa Vodka, pure and rhubarb-flavoured

Findlandia Vodka is the best Finland has to offer. And man, they have used pure glacier water to produce it: what more proof you need than this?

So, what to do about it in Spain? Nothing but have rum (ron) or gin (ginebra). A news site abcdesevilla.es has published a top 10 list of essential rums to help you out in the wide choice you might be confronted with, but thanks to my friends I also know a thing or two.

Of the Dominican rums available in Spain, Barceló and Brugal are the two brands worth trying, and Matusalem too, however it has Cuban origins.