Sipsmith Sipping Pure Plain Vodka 70cl / 40%

Sipsmith Sipping Vodka is a London vodka from Sipsmith, distilled from 100% wheat spirit and bottled at 40% ABV in a 70cl bottle. It is a vodka distilled in copper stills, and Sipsmith neither filters it nor adds glycerine, fructose or aromatisers, so the texture and flavour come from the wheat and the copper alone. As the name suggests, it is made to be tasted rather than hidden under a mixer. It suits gin drinkers who know the Sipsmith name and anyone who enjoys comparing plain vodkas side by side.

Sipsmith Sipping Vodka tasting notes

• Nose: Fresh bread, a hint of lemon and a little almond.
• Palate: Creamy wheat with white pepper and a faint marzipan sweetness.
• Finish: Dry, peppery and clean.

How to drink Sipsmith Sipping Vodka

Serve it cool rather than frozen, neat in a small tumbler or a tasting glass, so the wheat character comes through. Pair it with smoked salmon on rye, oysters, herring in cream or a dish of salted almonds. A single measure makes a calm aperitif before a weekend dinner while the food is being finished.

Sipsmith Sipping Vodka cocktails

• Vodka Gibson: 60 ml Sipsmith stirred with 10 ml dry vermouth over ice, strained into a chilled glass and finished with a cocktail onion.
• Vodka Southside: 50 ml Sipsmith, 25 ml lime juice, 15 ml sugar syrup and six mint leaves, shaken with ice and fine-strained into a coupe.

How it compares

Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka, also a wheat vodka, is richer and more caramel-toned at 43%. King of Soho Copacetic Vodka shows a toasty crumpet note, while Sipsmith stays leaner and more peppery. Of the three, Sipsmith is the most restrained, and the cleanest base for a Martini-style serve.

Good to know

Sipsmith is best known for its London gin, and this Sipsmith vodka is made in London too. As an unfiltered London vodka with no additives, it is a good bottle for anyone curious about how much character a plain spirit can carry. Wodka Company sends Sipsmith Sipping Vodka 70cl to customers across the UK.