Rain

Vodka
Purchase Price: Generally $16-20
Place of Purchase: Never Purchased
Rating: 5.0

I hear a lot of chirping about how vodka’s infamous “neutral taste” makes it impossible for a truly "bad" vodka to exist, but I must disagree and hold (at arm’s length) a bottle of Rain up as evidence. I first had the displeasure of sampling this at an art opening on the LES that caused me to say a lot of disparaging things about it in a loud tone of voice—rather ungentlemanly behavior on the part of a guest, but drinking is at least as serious a business as art, don’t you think? I was hoping never to see it again, but only scant months later I was at a party somewhere in Tribeca where there were about six bottles of Rain arranged about the kitchen counter and honestly, no alternative in sight, not even a cheap bottle of wine! I tried to choke down a plastic cup full, even adding some fruit juice to it, but there was no escaping the slightly sickening, throat-constricting feeling this vodka produces. So it was down the stairs for a six-pack of micro-brewed beer. Rain really is a must to avoid.