Belvedere Vodka, 70cl

Belvedere is a Polish vodka distilled at the historic Polmos Żyrardów distillery, using a single variety of golden Dankowskie rye grown on family farms in Poland. Launched in 1993 and named after the Belvedere Palace depicted on its frosted-glass bottle, it was one of the first ultra-premium vodkas to challenge the dominance of grain-neutral spirits from elsewhere.

The rye base gives Belvedere a naturally smooth, slightly creamy character with a subtle sweetness and a clean, peppery finish rather than the harsh burn associated with cheaper vodkas — a result of quadruple distillation and diamond-charcoal filtration.

Served ice-cold and neat it shows its purity best, though it's also the classic choice for an elegant vodka martini.