Smirnoff malt beverages. Do they have vodka in them?!
Answers: Every single time I try to drink vodka, it goes down wonderfully that night. However, the next day I'm dry-heaving until 5 in the evening. I can't even hold down a droplet of water. I love smirnoff flavored malt beverages, but I'm so scared to drink more than 2. Some people tell me it's just flavored beer, and others say there's Vodka in them. Which is it?
The proper term for these drinks is Flavored Malt Beverages. This includes Smirnoff Ice, Triple Black, and Twisted flavors, as well as Mike's Hard Lemonade family, Bacardi family, Zima family, Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay family, etc.
They do not contain vodka. In Canada, however, Mike's Hard Lemonade is made with vodka, but the Mike's everywhere else in the world is not.
As far as Smirnoff goes, many countries do sell a version that is made with real vodka, but in the US (and some other countries) it does not.
They are created from and artificial malt base, involving the manipulation of different forms of sugar (sucrose, dextrose, etc.) to create an alcoholic beverages with flavors similar to a mixed drink, but through a proces similar to beer (when I say similar, that's a stretch...).
It's not exactly flavored beer, as it contains to grains or hops, but it does not contain vodka either.
The reason it bears the Smirnoff name is because of licensing. The Smirnoff brand is owned by Diageo PLC, who also own Captain Morgan (and Parrot Bay), Guinness, Moet, and many others. They simply created a new beverage and slapped a recognizable name on the label. It's all about marketing, not ingredients.
As far as your issues with vodka, it's most likely an issue of overindulgence combined with extreme dehydration. Drink more water while you're drinking alcohol, as alcohol dehydrates you. Water will also help you keep your head and help your stomach to feel better. Also, watch how much you drink at a time...
As far as the Smirnoff Ice whatever... you'll be fine to have more than 2, but again, watch out for overconsumption, and still drink water.
Cheers!
'Malt beverage' is advertising talk for 'beer'. Some of these drinks are marketed as 'coolers', like a wine cooler, but alcohol from grapes is more expensive than alcohol from grain.
Vodka is also made from grain, but it's distilled. This stuff is fermented but not distilled. It might be something in grain alcohol that makes you sick, so this might make you sick too. But 'vodka' is just not the right word for what it is.
Smirnov (not Smirnoff) makes vodka. Therefore it's reasonable to assume their malt beverages have vodka in them. If drinking more than two of them makes you feel bad in the morning (this condition is commonly called a hangover) then don't drink two of them.
Nope, no vodka in any malt beverage. Just like there is no wine in the little wine coolers. Check out the alcohol content on the lable. There is the same amount of alcohol in these as in a beer. Just like anything with alcohol it will get you drunk and give you dry heaves if you drink too many.
In all countries in which Smirnoff Ice is sold, actual Smirnoff Vodka is added to these drinks EXCEPT the US.
Interesting, I was not aware of that!
These beverages are made from malted grains (the grains have had a chance to sprout partially before being processed), then loaded up with natural and artificial flavorings to make them taste sweet and fruity.