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[1] Neft is a winner in a dry Martini, any vodka cocktail, or neat (all photo © Neft Vodka).
[2] Neft vodka on the rocks. The vodka is packaged in oil drum-shaped cans, available in black or white.
[3] Neft is also made in a single-portion, 100 ml size.
[4] The Pride barrel.
[5] Austrian fields growing ancient varieties of rye.
[6] The Rhaetian Alps in Austria, source of the water used to distill Neft Vodka.
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NEFT ultra-premium vodka‡‡ is produced in Austria with spring water from the Rätikon Massif mountain range, part of the the Rhaetian Alps.
There, rain and snowmelt water is filtered for 50 years through the layers of limestone and slate beneath.
That accounts for part of the special flavor, but a bigger part is the blend of four gluten-free, non-GMO, ancient rye grains* grown in lower Saxony, that are distilled into the vodka.
Neft is crafted at Destillerie Freihof, a 130-year-old family-run distillery in Lustenau, Austria.
The packaging is an unbreakable metal barrel that stays cold for hours.
For gifting, Neft Vodka is a great combination of presentation and taste.
If you’re wondering why the vodka is packaged in a barrel shape, it’s because Neft means “oil” in Russian, and the brand was created to honor oil workers. (There is Cyrillic lettering on one side of the can.)
Neft Vodka was created by a petroleum engineer from Western Siberia, who observed the endurance and sacrifice displayed by the Siberian oil pioneers† in the 1970s. When she decided to create a vodka brand, she fashioned it to pay tribute to them.
One source says that the unbreakable barrel allowed the workers to carry a container of vodka that wouldn’t break. There’s more about the barrel below.
In 2012, Ekaterina Kuzmina wanted to create a vodka that paid homage to her family’s roots in the Siberian oil workforce [source 1, source 2].
She was determined to make a vodka of outstanding quality for which those original workers would be proud.
Kuzmina, sought the best organic ingredients and settled on the mountainous Vorarlberg region in the westernmost part of Austria, where pristine Alpine spring water and distillation methods produce some of the best spirits in the world.
Critics agree.
Neft Vodka received two Double Gold Medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a “Best in Show” in the vodka category in 2018††.
More recently, The Tasting Panel Magazine recently awarded Neft an impressive 98-point score. A 92 point rating and Gold Medal came from the Beverage Tasting Institute.
Neft also got a Double Gold at the 2020 Best Tasting Spirits competition.
Neft was named one of the “Top 20 Vodka Brands of 2020” by VinePair.
Neft donates 50 cents from every barrel sold to one of six charities they support.
Are you ready for a taste?
THE FLAVOR
The great Alpine water, multiple-distillation process, and proprietary carbon-layer filtration produce a vodka of exceptional purity. Neft is elegant, creamy, smooth, and viscous, and can be joyfully sipped neat.
It truly is a luscious, ultra-premium vodka.
Get a group of tasting professionals in a room and you’ll hear a multitude of descriptors:
A nose of almond and vanilla, which opens up to tangerine and butterscotch.
Minerality on the palate, based on the limestone and slate through which the water filters.
A sweet vanilla, caramel, and cream entry on the palate, with a soft mouthfeel. A return of the mineral, almond, and tangerine notes in the nose arrive on the palate, evolving to butterscotch.
The finish is smooth and long, with almond, caramel, cream, minerality, tangerine, vanilla, and the actual rye itself.
If that sounds like a lot, clear your palate, taste, re-taste, and see what you come up with.
UNIQUE OIL BARREL PACKAGING
The tin-and-aluminum cans are made in black and white, plus a multicolor Pride design and a seasonal holiday barrel. The vodka inside is the same.
Why an oil barrel?
The barrels aren’t just to stand out: They’re insulated and will stay cold for up to 6 hours, according to the company. They’re also suitable for outdoor use since they can’t shatter if dropped.
And yes, you can refill the empty barrels with whatever you like.
The metal barrels are more sustainable packaging. According to the company:
The tin and aluminum packaging is lighter than glass and thus carries a smaller carbon footprint when transported.
Tin is also easier to recycle. Aluminum contains, on average, 70% recycled content (more than 3 times the amount in glass or plastic).
Although the 750ml can is listed at the MSRP‡ of $36.99 on the Neft website, we’ve seen a 750ml bottle for $29.95.
There’s also a 1-liter barrel for $44.99; and a 100ml barrel for $9.99.
Some people are stymied by the rubber stopper at the top of the barrel. If you need it, see the video below.
> The history of vodka.
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