Reyka Vodka

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"Lava rock filtration." "Bottled at source." What kinds of claims are these for a vodka? In this instance, it's Iceland's Reyka brand vodka, made in the island nation's only distillery.

• Reyka Vodka:

This is a spirit that entertains and informs as well as satisfies. There's a particular bit of Icelandic lore on each bottle, but what it is depends on the day it is bottled. For example, if you find a small, penguin-like bird called a puffin on your bottle neck label, it means it's puffin mating season.

That sort of trivia aside, this is a fine grain-based vodka. It takes advantage of the ecological cleanliness of the far north Atlantic and the fact that it's made in small batches, using water drawn from a 4,000-year-old lava field that filters it nicely. It holds up very well to being stored in the freezer, releasing its slight nose and full-bodied flavor when poured into a shot glass or cocktail glass with the slightest hint of dry vermouth while in its syrupy state.

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