Vodkastick

The Vodkastick is a home filtering device that allows users to purchase a less-expensive bottle of liquor, filter out the impurities and enjoy a cleaner tasting drink. While vodka is the primary use of the Vodkastick, other liquors can be run through the filter. This may be good for lighter spirits such as gin, tequila or light rum but with the more flavorful liquors such as whiskey, rum and brandy some of the desirable flavor notes may be filtered out as well.

Update 10.14.09 - The Vodka Stick website is no longer live so I am unsure if the product is still available.

I chose to test the Vodkastick with the cheapest vodka I could find: Five O'Clock. Five O'Clock is unfiltered and one of the harshest vodkas on the market. There are no characteristics in this liquor other than a burn that is so harsh you can't bear to keep it in your mouth long enough to discern a taste. I poured a small amount of vodka straight from the bottle as a control to taste alongside the vodka I would filter.

Using the Vodkastick is very easy yet takes patience. The process is simple: open the bottle of liquor, place the bottleneck in the top end of the Vodkastick, invert it placing the bottom of the Vodkastick in a pitcher or similar container and wait. It took 38 minutes to filter one liter of vodka so it's best to lean the stick and bottle against a wall or cupboard door securely and walk away.

The result is an amazing transformation from horrible vodka to an enjoyable mixer. Granted, the filtered vodka still doesn’t compare to premium brands, but there is significant improvement. Five O'Clock unfiltered is harsh and there is nothing enjoyable about it. With one run through the Vodkastick the same vodka becomes smooth with only a hint of burn leftover and I found that there is a taste underneath all those impurities and it's now suitable for mixed drinks. With another pass through the Vodkastick a decent Vodka Martini can be had.