You could use Ultimat to put Polish polish on any number of classic vodka cocktails, such as a Vodka Tonic or Sea Breeze, but this is also one to savor straight up. Serve it ice cold with caviar or smoked salmon for an exquisite indulgence.

WODKA VODKA ($18)

Wódka Wyborowa (pronounced vodka vi-brova) is old Polish for "exquisite vodka," and this vodka has been made in Poznan, Poland, since 1823. The Poznan Distillery is now owned by the important Pernod Ricard group, which makes the two famous French anisette aperitifs as well as controlling many other wine and spirits brands.

The rye grain that goes into Wyborowa comes from farms in northwestern Poland. Only winter-crop rye is used, because of its high starch content. The production process follows the "3 x 3 rule": triple cleaned, triple distilled, triple filtered. The taste is pure and silky, with just a faint trace of sweetness. This was reportedly Picasso's favorite vodka. Last year, it won a double gold medal at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Wódka Wyborowa is great straight up with salty foods such as pickled
herring. Or try it in the Warsaw Wasp (my own Polish variation on the Moscow Mule): Mix 2 oz. vodka with the juice of half a lemon over ice; top off with ginger ale and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Drink while listening to a rousing polka.

BELVEDERE VODKA ($30)

Belvedere Vodka comes from the region of Masovia, in the heartland of central Poland. Although vodka can be made from practically anything that ferments, from potatoes to corn, like many other Polish vodkas, this one is made from 100 percent rye. The taste is smooth but powerful, with a lingering grain finish.

To complement its crystalline qualities, Belvedere comes in a striking see-through bottle featuring an etched drawing of the stately Belvedere Palace in Warsaw. Poland's equivalent of the White House, the Belvedere was built in 1722 and formerly served as the residence of the Polish presidents.