Dima’s Ukrainian Vodka Review

Travel Distilled reviews Dima’s Vodka, a classy three-grain vodka from Ukraine.

I’ve been to many East European and Scandinavian countries where vodka is made, but not yet to Ukraine. If Dima’s Vodka is anything to go by, I need to book my ticket.

Vodka is usually made from one grain, like barley, rye or wheat, or from potatoes or sugar beet or several other things, even including black-eyed peas. Dima’s is different, as it’s made from a mix of barley, rye and wheat.

Supersoil

They make no bold claims about their water source or whether it’s distilled 700 times over gold nuggets, though they do say that the grains are grown in Ukraine’s black ‘supersoil’. This sounds like it could be market-speak except that Ukraine is known for its rich black soil. I live for half the year in the Fens in England, and the rich soil there means that a huge amount of the UK’s vegetables are grown there, because the soil helps produce tastier vegetables.

Budmo!

Another thing that interested me about a vodka from Ukraine was the idea of ‘Budmo’. Budmo is all about the toast when you’re dining together. I’ve been to Georgia (the country not the US state) where the toast is also a vital part of sharing a meal. I remember (vaguely) one meal in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, where the place setting included not just the usual knife, fork, spoon, napkin, and water glass, but a bottle each of vodka, brandy, and wine.

It seemed that every five minutes someone would stand up and propose a toast (‘To absent friends… to women… to men… to children… to ourselves…’) at which point you raised a glass of whatever you had at the time, and then carried on talking and eating.

In Ukraine this toasting tradition is called Budmo, and I can do no better than to quote the description of Budmo from the Dima’s Vodka website:

‘Budmo (pronounced Bood – more) is at the heart of all Ukrainian celebrations and encompasses far more than just saying cheers. Budmo means ‘let us be’ and is the shortest and the most popular Ukrainian toast. Budmo is said to originate in Cossack times when the Cossacks would gather for a meal and each in turn had a chance to say “Budmo” followed by their wishes for their friends.

Ukrainians are earnest toastmasters, and a party is not a celebration without a series of toasts, which follow a strict hierarchy. The first toast is usually proposed by the host, for the meeting (za zustrich). The second glass is usually raised for friends (za druziv). The third toast, for women (za zhinok), is given by men while standing. The last toast of the evening is always “Na Konya!” (Literally translated as “on the horse”). It is the Ukrainian equivalent of ” one for the road” and comes from the time when the Cossacks would have had a last drink before galloping away.

Coupled with the famous pickle, Budmo is a key component of a true Ukrainian vodka experience.’

This is another reason I’d love to visit Ukraine!

Recommended Serve

Dima’s Vodka is also rather different in their recommended serve. Hendrick’s gin recommends a cucumber, which works, and Caorunn gin from Scotland recommends a slice of red apple, which works brilliantly. Dima’s, however, recommends a pickle. A pickle?? Yes, and they go really well together.

I tried it at first with a gherkin – just a bite of the gherkin and a shot of the vodka, and it was wonderful. The two really do complement each other. I then emailed Dima’s Vodka and asked what pickles they recommended and they said: ‘the brand that we love is in a medium-sized jar and is called Edmal and the type is “Ogorki Babuni”’

This tells me that someone is serious about their vodka and how best to enjoy it. I live in a town in England called Wisbech, which has a large Polish community, and I love the Polish delis where I buy beer, vodka, bread, even pizza. Luckily my favourite store had some Edmal pickles, so I tried the Dima’s Vodka with these pickles and it was amazing! The tart taste of the pickles and the contrasting clear and smooth taste of the vodka really went well together.

Dima’s Vodka Bottle

But to get back to basics, Dima’s Vodka is the standard 40% ABV and comes in a very solid rectangular bottle with a blue and gold label. It looks and feels classy, and the top of the cork is impressive (not something you say often), with a logo on it which is an adaptation of a three-pronged Ukrainian symbol, but streamlined to echo the three grains that Dima’s uses. It’s certainly stylish.

On the nose the vodka is creamily smooth, a hint of vanilla sweetness, some citrus perhaps, and obviously an aroma of grain, like you’re walking by a field of wheat or barley on a hot summer’s day, or by a field that has been freshly cut with even stronger aromas.

Dima’s Ukrainian Vodka Review

On the palate the vodka reflects what you get on the nose. It’s creamy and smooth with a taste of vanilla, some citrus again, but also an unusual and very slight sour taste coming from somewhere – not in an unpleasant way at all, it actually adds to the taste.

Having tried it neat, and with a gherkin and a pickle, later in the week I tried it with some Fever-Tree Tonic, and it certainly adds some class to the glass, a cut above a bog-standard vodka and tonic. Good mixers really matter, as do good spirits. I recently made some G&Ts for ourselves and some friends, one using Martin Miller’s Gin, the other using a well-known name brand, but one that costs half the price of Martin Miller’s.

The difference was absolutely clear to everyone, and it will be if you treat yourself and your friends to some Dima’s Vodka too. It’s not cheap, but the good stuff never is. The question is, is it fairly priced? Absolutely.

Dima’s Vodka is 40% ABV and costs £35 for a 70cl bottle.

You can buy direct from the Dima’s Vodka website.

Dima’s is not yet available in the USA but you can find an international selection of vodkas at Caskers.