Reyka Vodka—Serve on Ice, so it remembers its Source
High in the North, far from the pollution of civilization, the arctic rains and snows fall on porous, 4,000 year-old lava fields. The lava does an amazing job of filtering the springs seeping slowly through its layers, resulting in the delicious, crystal-clear, clean water that is Iceland is famous for.
That is a key factor in the distillation of Reyka vodka, but to make it stand head and shoulders above the crowd, the company takes that filtration a step further. In a bottle of 80 proof vodka, there 
is still 60% water. The purity of that water thus has a great impact on the taste. To produce the very purest water in the world, Reyka filters the distilled water through its own lava filter on the still near the final point of production. Reyka Vodka is filtered through lava rocks that are collected at Grábrók lava fields, the source for Reyka water. Using lava rock filtration isn’t only unique, it also gives Reyka extra smooth taste and lets the fine flavour of the vodka shine through.
Distilled at the Top of the World
Bring in the essence of barley, grown in theScottish glens; malted spirit that is 96% alcohol, blend it with that Icelandic crystalpure water to bring it to 70% or 140 proof. Then distill it in small batches in the rarest of stills, the only copper Carter Head still that is used to make vodka, under the watchful and experienced eye of master distiller, Þórður. He heats the spirit and water to boiling point using the totally green, clean, geothermal energy from the nearby 
Deildartunguhver hot springs. He then eases the steam pressure to gently separate the heavy elements in the malted barley. After some 20 minutes, he raises the steam pressure again, causing the alcohol to rise and then condense on the copper plates inside the still that give the unique smoothness to the final product.
The result is the purest vodka, without additives—just malted barley and Icelandic water—a winning combination. As he pours the precious liquid from the still, Þórður separates it into three parts, the ‘head’—the first 20 litres, which he tests for taste and purity, the centre, which is where the best quality lies, and the ‘tail’, with the dregs that are discarded.
He blends the sparkling liquid with more pure water to bring it down to a deliciously palatable 40% or 80 proof, before it is bottled.
Glaciers in a bottle
All over the world, the sight of a glacier invokes impressions of purity. Here in Iceland, we have many of them, including one of the world’s largest. We drink the water that comes from these natural wonders.
Since 2005, Reyka has added an extra kick to it, creating an award-winning vodka in inventive Viking tradition, that reflects the breathtaking smoothness of the glaciers and put it in a bottle for all to enjoy— provided they’re adults, of course!
Today you can find Reyka vodka all over the world—with the UK and USA being especially fond of it. So, now you know where it comes from and what makes it so special, there’s nothing to prevent youenjoying the smoothest, purest vodka from the Land of Fire and Ice.
