When a large attractive package showed up in Beverly Hills we were Immediately intrigued. The high rating of 98 given by Tasting Panel magazine also got us excited, as did the list of prestigious awards given to the brand at the highly rated San Francisco Spirits Competition. Neft is a rye-based vodka with the all-important water used in the process coming from the Austrian Alps with minimum distillation procedures. Now the company which is based in El Segundo, California, has been recently taken over before the pandemic, and they have been very active supporting the struggling bartending industry in charitable ventures.

The packaging is also interesting enough to set Neft apart from the competition with a portable barrel that is unbreakable, heat resistant and portable enough to carry around. On top of that the barrel comes in three colors, black, blue and white. Getting back to the all-important water used in the vodka, it actually comes from the Rhaetian Alps on the Austrian/Swiss border, water that is so clean and pure that it is naturally low in salts and ions.

Distilled three times in Austria, Neft uses tin and aluminum barrels which are lighter than glass and much easier to transport. The four grains used are from Lower Saxony, Amato, Askari, Pollino and Rasant and they are used with a triple, copper pot distillation process. This is a very smooth vodka that many experts have advised to try neat where you can expect to taste the flavors of cashew and lime chiffon. Throw in orange peel and chocolate almond for a finish and you have a very pleasant after-taste. The sweet vanilla, cream and caramel entry leaves a very smooth taste in the mouth, making it also perfect for cocktails. Here are a couple of the choice recipes that have been carefully selected By the Neft team after fairly extensive research.

NEFT Spicy Lemon Drop

1.75 oz Neft Vodka 0.75 oz Lemon Juice 0.25 oz Simple Syrup 0.25 oz Orange Liqueur 1 dash Angostura bitters Shake all ingredients in mixing tin w/ice. Strain into a Tagin & sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with a citrus wheel.

NEFT Honey Bear

2 oz NEFT Vodka 1 oz Lemon Juice 0.5 oz Honey Syrup 5 raspberries 1 splash of Prosecco Muddle raspberries and add all ingredients into mixing tin w/ice. Shake vigorously and pour into glass. Top w/prosecco and garnish with a lemon Slice and mint.

Website:https://www.neftvodkaaus.com