Stolly or Smirnoff? Lemon or vanilla? Vodka: we’re spoilt for choice but how to pick the best? Alice King nominates her favourite brands . . . and makes her own. Chocolate vodka, anyone?

There was a time when people would have been horrified to hear you ask for a neat vodka. Now, no one raises an eyebrow. They just ask which brand, what flavour, want it frozen? The uninitiated may think all vodka is the same. But if you line up a few in a bar you’ll soon see how distinct different brands taste.

Start with the following three: you’ll be amazed by the contrasts in flavour and aroma. And while it is personal preference, I think they are much tastier straight from the freezer.

• Of the unflavoured varieties, the Russian vodka, Stolichnaya, is one of my favourites – it’s smooth and one of the easiest to drink.
• Black Label Smirnoff is a revelation to anyone who’s never tasted neat vodka. Filtered through charcoal, this vodka takes on a creamy, almost white chocolate flavour. It’s extremely moreish.
• For contrast, sample Absolut: much lighter, with a clean taste and a faint hint of citrus.

Flavoured vodkas have now become very popular; even the pubs in my sleepy Berkshire town stock them. Of the Smirnoff line up, the vanilla one is the best. If you can imagine it, it tastes like a cross between vodka and vanilla ice cream. My favourite of the Asolut range is Absolut Mandarin – it really does smell and taste of fresh, juicy mandarins.

Those laced with chilli, I’d steer clear of, as they also seem to be not only hot, but bitter too. However, used in a Bloody Mary they may serve a purpose, as adding extra spice becomes unnecessary. Of the weird, off-beat ones, Zubowka Bison Vodka is the best. Not flavoured with Bison, but the aromatic grass on which Bison feed, it has an extraordinary, complex flavour and aroma that combines lavender, herbs, and sweet tobacco. Be daring, try it.

If you really get into flavoured vodkas, and can make it to central London, take a trip to Jerry’s off licence in Soho’s Old Compton Street. He has literally hundreds to choose from.

Next page: making your own

Try making your own
DIY flavoured vodka is simple. First buy a cheap supermarket own-label vodka. (If you want to make several different flavours you can always buy the flat 20-cl bottles.) Then follow these simple steps:

• Lemon or lime is one of the easiest to make. Simply cut the lime up into quarters and push them into the bottle. You can sample a bit of the vodka first – this will, after all, make room for the lime.
• Close the bottle and leave to macerate in the fridge for three to four weeks. The vodka will slowly change colour to yellow green.
• Once the time is up, decant the vodka into another bottle. If you leave the limes in, the flavour tends to become bitter. Use exactly the same technique for raspberries, strawberries, tangerines and oranges

For a totally different taste experience make some chocolate vodka.
• Buy some good quality strong plain chocolate such as Lindt .
• Then either melt the chocolate and add it to the vodka or simply break off a few squares (if you do the latter, after a month or so put the vodka through a sieve).
• While the brown sludgy liquid may not look very appealing, it tastes delicious whether drunk on its own or dribbled over vanilla ice cream.