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Not all vodka is created equal. There are plenty of brands that fall short on quality compared to their more esteemed counterparts. With this in mind, we consulted Molly Horn, the cocktail strategy and spirits education manager at Total Wine & More. Drawing on her vast knowledge, Horn has some tips for improving a subpar bottle of vodka, starting with how to store it.

According to Horn, keeping the vodka in the freezer can “enhance the texture” of it. Freezing vodka changes its consistency, making it thicker and therefore improving the richness that signifies a good vodka. Horn’s next suggestion is to incorporate the subpar vodka into a flavorful cocktail. “Mixing it into Bloody Marys, Screwdrivers, Greyhounds can counterbalance it,” she advises. Note that an ideal Bloody Mary recipe includes robust ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, and black pepper. These flavors can potentially disguise and soften the harsh qualities typically found in cheaper vodka, making it more palatable.

Lastly, for those vodka brands that are exceptionally harsh on the palate, these do pose quite a challenge. However, Horn suggests employing the freezer-storage method and mixing the vodka with strong flavors. For example, when making a Bloody Mary, infusing the vodka with bold ingredients such as black pepper, jalapenos or even habaneros, is recommended. The strong, spicy flavors can overpower and divert attention from the low-quality vodka, leading to a much more pleasurable drinking experience.

If these ingredients strike you as too outlandish to include in an alcoholic beverage, remember that Bloody Marys can be garnished with cold pizza, as well as pepperoncini, shrimp, and beef sticks. If that seems like a bridge too far, stick with the spicier ingredients. Hot peppers and other forms of spice can obscure flavors, which might be a good thing if you’re struggling with an aggressively bad bottle of vodka. Of course, being selective about the vodka you buy is the best course of action.

With so many great vodka brands to choose from, finding the right bottle is often challenging. To this end, Molly Horn offers some helpful pointers on how to identify a subpar vodka to avoid buying it. She recommends checking out “what the base material is or where the water is sourced from” when trying to determine quality. For instance, some brands use sugar beets instead of potatoes or corn, which can lead to quality issues. However, Horn encourages vodka enthusiasts to sample brands whenever possible.

When sampling a vodka, pay close attention to the texture. Molly horn explained, “If the texture on the palate is harsh and leaves your mouth feeling like it was stripped, it’s likely not the highest quality vodka.” Conversely, good vodka has a smooth texture and may even impart a minor sweetness, as opposed to that notorious stinging sensation that accompanies lower quality brands of booze. With Horn’s advice, you’ll never suffer through a harsh bottle of vodka again.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.