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108 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 competitors, and all chose the blend with the highest level of natural water. The Golden Ratio Kuuttanen spent ten years building what he calls the "Darwinist distillation" method. The mash is first heated in the pot still's water bath, as one would gently heat chocolate, to help keep intact some of the impurities that give Purity its character. The liquid is transferred to the bottom of the first of two identical towers, where the magic happens. There are no filters or pressure—it's only the remaining heat from the pot still that forces the low wine to climb the tower. The tower contains eight cylindrical sections, with a small hole in the middle of each. The liquid that survives distillation in a section moves to the section above it, after which it is forced up to the next, and so on. Once it gets through the eight sections, the surviving liquid proceeds to the bottom of the second tower and the process is repeated again. The liquid that does not survive is returned to bottom to try the climb once more. Once the 17 distillations are complete, the finest ten percent is kept and sent back to the pot still to go through the entire process a second time. This brings us to 34 total dis - tillations, a number symbolic of the golden ratio, resulting in a spirit so refined that no filtration is necessary, leaving all the natu - ral flavors and character in the vodka. The Tasting Because of its high alcohol content, vod- ka's delicate aromas and flavors are harder to detect than those of some other spirits. Kuuttanen teaches us to smell vodka with our mouths open, to trust our noses even more than we would with brown spirits or wine. He feels strongly that there's a place at the bar for at least three different types of vodka: a light and neutral one for cocktails mixed with soft drinks, one that is middle-of-the-road for sweeter liqueur- based drinks, and finally something like Purity, that stands up alone, with soda, on the rocks, or in a Martini. With quality small-batch brands such as Purity chang - ing the vodka landscape today, it's time for the movers and shakers of the cocktail craze to bring vodka back to the bar. Kuuttanen wasn't always interested in vodka, but he met the challenge to create something different with vigor. He trusts his instincts, and is as sincere about his failures as his successes. He admits how long it has taken but is proud of his perseverance. Slow and steady wins the race, after all. VODKA CULTURE IN SWEDEN Nobody seems to know exactly how long vodka has been around, but Sweden has been a player for at least 700 years. In days gone by, field workers were paid in cash and food, but mostly in vodka. According to Kuuttanen, castles like Ellinge, where Purity Vodka is now produced, had the best vodka stills, and therefore were guaranteed the best workers. In the 18th century, the average Swede consumed 125 liters of vodka per year, children and seniors included—that's half a bottle of vodka every day. In the 1920s, during U.S. Prohibition, the Swedish government also became concerned with the country's exorbitant alcohol consumption. Sweden took a public vote to determine whether or not to instill a similar program; a startling 49% voted in favor of prohibition. Consequently, the government chose to monopolize the importation, distribution and sale of all alcohol. It wasn't until 1994 that the monopoly was lifted, though alcohol remains heavily controlled (bartenders are legally responsible for the drunkenness of their guests) and highly taxed. Alcohol tax is 50% less in neighboring Denmark, and 50% less than that in Germany. In Poland, "they are practically paying you to buy alcohol," says Kuuttanen. As you can imagine, the Swedes are traveling. { spirits } Twelfth-century Ellinge Castle in the south of Sweden.